Cherry's Adventures of the Lion King
by PerkyGoth14
Summary: Atticus is given free plane tickets to visit Africa and the guests of his choosing. Once he selects his fellow passengers, they are in for an adventure that involves a lion cub named Simba who just can't wait to be king, however, their new friend's uncle has other plans for his destiny.
1. Chapter 1

Darla, Amber, and Dot were in an African jungle together, all wearing safari clothing. Short-sleeved pocketed shirts, jungle shorts, brown boots, and hats to shade their eyes and skin from the blistering sun. However, Darla, of course, had a bow in her hat. They were walking all together, wearing backpacks.

"Day 1 in the Savanna," Darla narrated like a Captain's Log. "We are searching for amazing and exotic creatures... Such as the king of the jungle that is the African Lion..."

"We have enough food to last for weeks, but who knows if we'll really all need it?" Amber added.

There was then a rustling in the bushes and a white lion with black spots jumped out at them and roared.

"LION ATTACK!" Dot cried.

"Run!" Darla cried.

The three girls screamed and laughed as they ran off as the estranged lion chased them.

"To the cave!" Dot called and pointed ahead. "He'll never catch us in there!"

The three girls went into a cave.

"Hold it, girls, there's only one way to hold off THIS lion!" Amber called before taking out a bone and squeezed it, which made it give a squeaky noise like a dog's chew toy.

And where this caught the young lion's attention, causing his tail to start wagging.

"Thatta boy!" Amber called and threw the bone at the lion cub.

The lion cub smiled, then bit down on the bone and started to chew at it like a playful puppy.

"Wait, that's just a lion cub?" Darla asked. "Then where's the father lion?"

"What're you kids up to?" Lucky asked, coming over.

* * *

It was revealed to be just their crazy imagination and they were playing a game. Patch was teething on the chew toy Amber gave him, revealing he was being a lion cub.

"We're having a jungle adventure." Dot told her dog.

"Yeah and we're looking for the father lion of the lion cub," Darla said. "And I think we found him."

Lucky chuckled. "Sorry about that, kids... I had to take a small break if ya know what I mean."

"That's okay..." Dot patted her dog on the head.

"Great bone, Amber." Patch smiled to his former owner's niece.

"I thought you'd like to have one of your own." Amber smiled back.

"Yeah." Darla smiled.

* * *

While they were enjoying each other's company in the backyard, there came a knocking at the door.

Atticus got to the door and opened it. "Hello?"

"Is this the Fudo residence?" a man asked.

"Yes?" Atticus nodded.

"I have a delivery for a Atticus James Fudo." The man told him.

"That would be me." Atticus said.

"Sign here please." the man handed out a clipboard.

Atticus signed his name and handed the pen back.

"Enjoy." the man smiled, giving him a sealed envelope.

"Thank you, sir." Atticus said before closing the door and then started to open the mysterious envelope.

* * *

The kids and dogs decided to come inside.

"How was the jungle?" Atticus asked, knowing that they were playing a little game and not really had gone to the Savanna.

"It was so much fun, we found the rare lion and his son." Darla smirked.

"Oh, you did, did you?" Atticus smirked back with a laugh, then opened the envelope.

"Whatcha got there?" Dot asked her cousin.

"I dunno, that's what I'm finding out..." Atticus said before reaching inside the envelope.

Darla wiped her forehead. "Oh, wouldn't it be exciting to really go to Africa?"

As if on cue, there were tickets to Africa inside the envelope.

"Tickets to Africa." Atticus said then.

Darla blinked. "Okay, uh, now I wish I had a big bowl the size of the Earth with a hot fudge sundae with marshallows!"

Nothing seemed to happen as they just stood there, waiting for something to happen.

"Dang it." Darla groaned.

"Next time." Amber chuckled to her best friend.

"So, tickets to Africa?" Patch looked up from his new chew toy.

"Yep." Atticus nodded.

"But who sent them?" Darla asked.

"Isn't there a return address?" Amber looked at the mysterious envelope.

"No, there doesn't seem to be one on it." Atticus said after not finding a return address on the envelope.

"That's peculiar, I wonder who sent them then..." Amber looked puzzled.

"So, Darla, you think you might really wanna come to Africa?" Atticus asked his little sister.

"Hmm..." Darla curled her finger in her now short hair, her curls had been cut off a long time ago. "Well... It'd be kinda exciting to have a real adventure for once... I've never been on one before..."

"Alright, then let's do it." Atticus smiled.

"You wanna come?" Darla asked.

"Mom has time off tomorrow, she wants a spa day," Amber replied. "You go have fun with your family."

"Okay, if you're sure." Darla said.

"Next time." Amber smield.

Darla smiled back to her best friend and hugged her.

"Can me and Lucky come?" Dot asked out of hope.

"I don't know, Dot, we should see if your parents are okay with it." Lucky said.

"I'm sure they'll agree, but you better make sure." Atticus agreed with the collie.

Dot frowned, but she hoped her parents would agree.

"Still a couple leftover..." Atticus said.

"Well, you know I wouldn't go anywhere without you." Patch smiled to his new owner.

"I know, that's why you're coming with, along with Cherry and Mo and also Forte," Atticus said. "And Lucky will also be coming."

"If it's okay with Dot's folks." Lucky reminded.

"Right..." Atticus nodded.

"Cherry in Africa...?" Patch sounded doubtful.

"It could be good for her." Atticus said.

"Yeah, but Cherry in Africa..." Patch said. "As in the sun, blistering heat..."

"She'll turn around..." Cherry shrugged.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cherry was having a lazy day at home, she was reading a handbook with a red ball in her hand. She then put the ball and book down, then took out three plastic cups and moved the cups around and removed one cup to show the ball, then removed the other two to show other balls.

"How did I do that?" Cherry muttered to herself. She simply shrugged, not wanting to question how magic worked and just went back to doing the trick until she heard a knock at the door. "I don't want any!"

"It's me..." Atticus's voice said.

Cherry put her book down and opened the door.

"What're you doing?" Atticus came to her side.

"Oh, nothing much..." Cherry said, until she saw something in her jacket sleeve and started to pull on it to show colorful scarves that went on and on and on... "What in the world!?"

"Wow, I'm guessing your magic is going a little random." Atticus said.

"I don't know what just happened..." Cherry said, she got the final scarf and tried to shake it out of her hand, but when she did, she suddenly had a bouquet of dead and wilting flowers.

Atticus cringed. "Wanna go to the Savanna?"

"Savanna?" Cherry asked with a laugh. "Why would I go there?"

"It could be a nice change for you." Atticus said.

"What's wrong with me?" Cherry frowned as she put the flowers in a vase, despite them already being dead and there would be no point in keeping them in water.

"Nothing, I'm just saying that it might be fun." Atticus smiled.

"Well... I guess..." Cherry said. "My parents have been very busy lately... I've been home alone a lot lately..."

"So...?" Atticus asked, leaving out one more part of information.

"I guess maybe I could come..." Cherry shrugged. "But if I get eaten by a lion or something, you're not invited to my funeral."

"Okay, okay, oh, and before anything else, Forte is also going to be invited." Atticus said quickly.

"HOLD IT!" Cherry heard that and suddenly had handcuffs on him.

"Where'd you get the handcuffs?" Atticus asked.

"Uh... I have no idea... Anyway... Forte!?" Cherry then asked.

"Yeah." Atticus nodded before breaking the chains from the handcuffs and then broke the cuffs.

Cherry frowned at the broken handcuffs. "D'oh... I could've used this for... For... Umm..." she then checked her handbook and flipped through the pages. "Handcuff tricks... Handcuff tricks..."

"Don't you have more than one?" Atticus asked.

"Probably up my sleeve..." Cherry rolled her eyes with the magician cliche of 'nothing up my sleeve'.

And where she got a magic hat out of one her sleeves after showing there was nothing there.

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!?" Cherry was annoyed.

* * *

Atticus never really came to the church that was in Cherry's neighborhood alone, but he decided to this time to have a word with the former villanous court composer who took a liking to Cherry. "Maestro, are you in here?"

Forte was sitting in a chair next to the old fireplace and he had a book that he had gotten for Christmas.

"Oh, is this a bad time?" Atticus asked after noticing the court composer was reading.

"I can talk..." Forte put his book up and looked to the boy. "I have not seen you come here without Cerise... Is she well?"

"She's fine..." Atticus nodded politely. "She's coming to Africa with me."

"Oh... How nice for her..." Forte tried to hide his worry for Cherry's safety.

"And I was wondering if you would like to come with us?" Atticus asked.

"I don't travel much..." Forte twiddled his fingers. "I'm an old man... I'm not the spring chicken I used to be."

"I know, but I thought that maybe it could be a great experience for you." Atticus smiled.

"I am not so sure..." Forte shrugged.

"We'll need an adult to go with us." Atticus smirked.

"Atticus..." Forte sighed.

"Okay..." Atticus walked the other way with a shrug. "I guess I'll just go with Cherry and she might get seriously hurt and won't forgive you for letting her get hurt or attacked by some wild animal..."

Forte's eyes widened. "Atticus, wait!"

"Yes?" Atticus asked with a knowing smile.

Forte looked anxious, but he went along with it. "I-I'll find a way."

"Great, thanks." Atticus smiled.

Forte nodded back before going back into his temporary home.

"Great, we're all set..." Atticus said to himself.

"Don't you have to go and ask Mo to come along?" Patch asked.

"D'oh!" Atticus hit his forehead before running off. "How could I forget!?"

"What would you do without me?" Patch asked with a smirk.

"Oh, bite me..." Atticus replied. "That's a metaphor by the way!"

Patch chuckled to his owner.

* * *

Mo was forced into a fluffy pink dress with white gloves as she sat on the couch of her home, Aunt Sarah came to visit and was talking with Elizabeth while Junior was on the floor, dressed in a sailor suit. Mo looked like she would rather be dead than in a dress. She then heard a knock at the door and decided to pick up her dress so she wouldn't trip over it while she went to answer the door.

"Hey, Mo, you wanna-" Atticus was about to ask, then saw her in a dress, then cupped his mouth.

"Get it out of your system." Mo said to him, knowing he probably wanted to laugh.

"One moment please." Atticus said before going to the side of the house and burst out laughing.

Mo folded her arms and waited for Atticus while tapping her foot.

* * *

After a while of laughing, Atticus came back.

"Sorry, I had to get that out of my system because that dress is so not you." Atticus said.

"It really isn't..." Mo wrinkled her nose in agreement. "I know she's family now, but I don't think I'm ever gonna learn to like Aunt Sarah."

"Give her time, maybe you might like her in the future, anyways, getting off topic of why I'm here." Atticus said.

"So, why are you here?" Mo asked as she played with the hem of her gloves.

"You wanna go to Africa?" Atticus asked.

Mo looked surprised at that invitation. "Uh... Sure... Right after I ask a griffin if I can fly with them."

Atticus showed her the flight tickets to Africa to show that he was being serious.

"Where did those come from?" Mo then asked.

"I dunno, but I have enough for you too if you wanna come." Atticus shrugged.

"Hmm... Let me check my schedule..." Mo leaned back, though she was going to agree anyway, anything to get away from her adoptive grandaunt.

"Monique, Aunt Sarah wants to take us to the community center for a tea party tomorrow, won't that be fun!?" Elizabeth called from indoors.

"Get me out of here!" Mo begged.

"Okay, then I guess that means you'll be coming." Atticus said.

"Yes, please take me with you, I beg of you!" Mo begged.

Atticus chuckled. "Don't worry, I knew you'd come along..."

"You did?" Mo glared. "Then why did you make me beg?!"

Atticus then ran off with a smirk.

"Come back here!" Mo chased him, carrying her skirt.

"That boy is going to drive her crazy." Sarah sighed.

"Oh, come along, Sarah," Elizabeth smiled gently to her aunt-in-law. "Atticus is a wonderful boy."

"Yes, I know, but when I said that, I didn't mean it in a mean way, I meant it in a teasing way." Sarah explained.

"Oh, good, you've warmed up to Monique." Elizabeth smiled, then picked up Junior in her arms.

"Oh, come here, little Jimmy..." Sarah took Junior and covered his face with kisses.

Junior pouted firmly and seemed to stick his tongue out from his great-aunt's kisses.

"Hopefully he'll warm up to me." Sarah said.

"It'll take time..." Elizabeth giggled.

Junior frowned to his grandaunt and mother, really wanting to be put back down on the floor with the puppies now.

"I hope you're right." Sarah said.

Mo stopped running and then got out of her dress and climbed up the tree in the backyard and lay down as she was wearing her tomboy clothes underneath and rolled around in the dirty tree. "Ugh... Freedom! Sanctuary!"

"Hey, Mo," Angel smirked. "So, did you get him?"

"I made him fall into a creek." Mo laughed.

"That is cruel." Angel laughed.

Mo laughed back. "Yeah... That's what you get when you trick me."

"So true." Angel laughed.

* * *

Atticus arrived back at his house, soaking wet, seeing his pet on the porch with a smirk at his owner. "Shush..."

"I didn't say anything." Patch chuckled.

"I know, but I know what you were going to say." Atticus groaned.

"So, is Mo coming with us?" Patch changed the subject.

"Yeah, I have to take a shower now..." Atticus forced a chuckle, heading to the bathroom.

"Human girls..." Patch shook his head.

"We heard that!" Dot, Amber, and Darla called out.

Patch looked nervous, then chuckled sheepishly in response.


	2. Chapter 2

The evening was spent packing up to go to Africa. And where it would be a long day of packing.

"You guys ever been to Africa?" Atticus asked his parents after he told them what was going to be happening.

"Actually, yes, yes, we have." Patrick said.

Atticus looked back in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Friends of ours were going there," Emily explained. "We decided to go with them. They adopted a cheetah cub as their own pet and they named her Duma."

"Cool." Atticus smiled.

"The poor thing was orphaned..." Emily sighed. "It was quite an adventure we all had. Our friend Morgo also taught us 'Hakuna Matata'."

"Harpoon a tomato?" Atticus asked, confused.

"Hakuna Matata," Patrick corrected and enunciated so his son would understand. "It means 'no worries'."

"I never heard that expression before." Atticus said.

"We thought it'd be good advice for you." Emily smiled.

"Yeah, because it might get intense." Patrick said.

"What could happen?" Atticus shrugged innocently.

"Have a good time." Emily soothed.

"I sure will, Mom." Atticus said.

Patrick and Emily hugged him then.

"Now, be sure to keep a close eye on your little sister and cousin now." Patrick warned, he knew Atticus would remember, but he added that in just to make sure.

"I'll remember, Dad." Atticus said.

"I know you will." Patrick smiled proudly.

"I just can't wait to see a real lion up close." Atticus smiled.

"Oh, my..." Emily sounded worried about that, but she left the room with her husband.

"This is going to be so exciting." Atticus smiled.

* * *

Dot came to her parents and had asked them about going to Africa with her big cousin and his friends. And where they agreed into letting her go as long as she stayed close to Atticus.

"Do you promise?" Gretchen asked.

"Yes, Mom, of course, Daddy." Dot promised her parents.

'Good thing this trip won't be life-threatening.' Lucky thought to himself.

"We're going, boy!" Dot hugged her dog.

"Wahoo!" Lucky cheered.

"Well, run along now," Gretchen giggled to her daughter's excitement. "I'll be up with you in a moment."

"Okay, Mom." Dot said.

"Thatta girl." Gretchen smiled.

Dot and Lucky then go up to her room to get ready.

* * *

Darla was in her room and packing some things, she still couldn't believe this was really happening. She then got a call on her new phone and answered it. "Hello?"

 ** _'I hear you've got other plans around this week...'_ ** an elderly female voice drawled.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Nana Charlotte," Darla replied. "Have to cancel our girl day out this week, I promise that I'll make it up to you."

 ** _'You better.'_** The elderly woman smirked.

Darla giggled, knowing that was a joke. "I'll see what I can do..."

 ** _'Don't keep me waiting~...'_ ** Charlotte told her biological granddaughter.

"I'll try~..." Darla said in the same singsong tone of voice.

 ** _'Okay, okay, so where are you going?'_** Charlotte asked.

"Africa," Darla explained. "Somebody gave Atticus tickets to go with some friends."

 ** _'Oh, that'll be fun!'_** Charlotte beamed at that. 'Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh, my!'

"I don't think bears live in Africa." Darla pouted.

 ** _'Oh, I'm only teasing, just be careful when you see animals up close, deary.'_** Charlotte giggled before warning.

"I will, Nana." Darla smiled.

 ** _'Well, I'll miss you this week, but thank you for letting me know, have a wonderful time.'_** Charlotte told her granddaughter.

"I'm sure I will." Darla said.

 ** _'Tell me all about it, deary.'_** Charlotte beamed.

"Will do." Darla smiled back.

 ** _'Talk to you when you get back, dear.'_** Charlotte smiled.

"Talk to you later, Nana." Darla smiled and hung up gently, getting back to packing.

"Why do I have the feeling they're going to be in for another adventure?" Charlotte asked herself.

* * *

Darla opened up a chest that was originally in her mansion locked away in the basement for no one to see, but she opened it to find anything she might want to take with her in there. She saw her old trophies and awards she was given, there was even her very own Oscar award and she was so far the youngest actress to achieve it.

Winning it back then meant to much to her, but now she didn't see she had a use for it. She then passed a very old photograph of her in the hospital when she was a newborn being held by her biological mother and tears came into her eyes as she hugged the photograph. She truly missed her parents and hoped that they were watching over her in Heaven.

"Darla?"

Darla jumped once her name was called, then slowly turned to see her new brother. "Oh... Hi, Atticus..."

"You almost ready for our trip to Africa?" Atticus asked.

"Just about... I was looking for something to bring along the way..." Darla said as she put the picture back, now looking for a toy, she was a child after all and needed a toy for security on an overnight trip away from home.

"Take your time." Atticus smiled.

Darla wiped one eye and kept her search.

"Need any help with packing?" Atticus asked.

"Uh, yeah, could you get that hat on the top shelf of my closet?" Darla requested. "I tried and tried, but I just can't reach it!"

"Sure." Atticus smiled before getting his little sister's hat for her.

"Thanks." Darla smiled back.

"No problem, little sis." Atticus smiled before giving her her hat.

Darla took the hat and put it on and looked in the mirror. "I'm going on a safari!"

"Yep and we'll see lots of animals." Atticus said.

Darla smiled as she continued to pack up her things and took out an old teddy bear to take along with her.

"You're parents are watching over you, little sis." Atticus smiled.

Darla sniffled to that, feeling touched, she then gave Atticus a hug. "I miss them."

"I know, I know." Atticus soothed her.

Darla took a deep shallow breath and tried to soothe herself so she wouldn't work herself up into tears. After a little while, she went back to her packing.

"You gonna be okay?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah..." Darla said softly. "Thank you... For everything."

"You're welcome." Atticus said.

Darla nodded and went back to packing.

* * *

Atticus did the same while Patch and Lucky went to the Pound Puppies so they could tell them. They made their way through their secret way for Shelter 17. It was quiet in the shelter so far and nothing really seemed to be going on, at least, not yet. Patch and Lucky came to meet the others.

"Hello, everybody!" Patch greeted the dogs he knew very well.

"Hey, Patch." Niblet smiled.

"What's up, honey?" Cookie smiled to the puppy.

"Hey, kiddo!" Squirt added.

"We just wanted to let you all know we'll be going away for a little while." Lucky informed.

"Yeah, because me and Lucky will be in Africa." Patch smiled.

"Africa?" the others asked.

Patch and Lucky bean to tell them why they were going to Africa. The other Pound Puppies listened, they were happy and excited for the two, plus they could spend more time together this way.

"Be careful..." Strudel cautioned Lucky, more worried about him.

"I sure will." Lucky smiled.

Cookie smiled and nuzzled against Lucky's face which was a dog's way of kissing sometimes. Lucky did the same to Cookie and where they both saw Patch smirked playfully at them. Lucky and Cookie looked to the puppy then.

"Uh, take care of yourself, Lucky... Don't forget about little Patch." Cookie quickly said.

"I sure won't forget him." Lucky quickly said back.

"Have fun!" Strudel called.

"We sure will." Patch smiled.

Lucky nodded to the others and then left with Patch.

"So, you and Cookie...?" Patch spoke up.

"Just friends, kiddo, just friends." Lucky sheepishly replied.

"Uh-huh, sure, but you wanna be more than friends with her." Patch smirked.

"Yes! I'm right I am so right!" Patch cheered.

"Aw, go on..." Lucky chuckled.

"This is going to be so awesome in Africa." Patch smiled.

"You said it, buddy," Lucky smiled back. "You've really made a difference in my life... I finally get adopted after being in the shelter for so many dog years, then I meet one of the 101 Dalmatians, and now I'm going all the way to Africa!"

"I know. A lot is going to happen to you since you're a part of this family." Patch smiled.

"Oh, boy, I wonder what's after this." Lucky laughed a little.

* * *

"Hmm..." Cherry hummed as she scrolled through her Facebook.

"What're you doing, Cherry Bear?" Michelle asked.

"Just checking messages..." Cherry said lazily. "I got my suitcase under my bed and tomorrow, I'm gonna have my backpack ready when it's time to go so I can pack my laptop."

"That's great, honey, but you do realize that in the Savanna they don't have a way for you to get a signal." Michelle warned her.

"WHAT!?" Cherry flailed.

"Oh, Cherry, surely you can live without your laptop for a few days..." Michelle soothed.

"I dunno, Mom..." Cherry sounded grave and deadpan serious. "You are speaking of a world in which I do not wish to live in."

"It won't be that bad." Michelle said.

"Well... Okay..." Cherry felt odd about this so far.

"Don't worry, it'll be right here for you when you get back." Michelle promised.

"Thanks, Mom." Cherry smiled.

Michelle patted her daughter on the head. "Anything new in your Facebook?"

"Penn and Teller are going to India next month," Cherry said once that came in her newsfeed.

"Oh, you went there with your friend Bianca, didn't you?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah, Mom." Cherry nodded.

"You think you might wanna go with them?" Michelle prompted.

Cherry shrugged. "I don't know if they would let me. I don't think I can just call them and be like 'Hey, can I go to India with you guys?'..."

"By permission from your parents." Michelle smiled.

"Yeah, right..." Cherry chuckled, she then took out her phone and texted if she could go to India too as a joke and added that she had her parents permission.

* * *

 _ ***Meanewhile in Las Vegas...***_

Penn was throwing knives at a Teller in their empty for right now theater, then took out his phone once he held another knife, then threw it without looking. "Ooh, someone texted me."

Teller gritted his teeth nervously as the knife was just an inch above his head, his face had paled and he sweated anxiously. "I better answer it." he then said.

Penn handed him the phone.

Teller took a deep breath, taking the phone. "You threw that one without looking!"

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Penn shrugged.

Teller gave a glare before looking back at the phone.

"So who texted?" Penn asked.

"You'll never guess..." Teller showed the number.

Penn adjusted his glasses and took out a magnifying glass. "Ah, Cherry... How's she?"

"Apparently she wants to come to India with us." Teller said as he messaged back.

"Is she joking?" Penn asked.

Teller shrugged and sent his response. "Either way, she's going now..."

"Yep." Penn nodded.

"She just jinxed herself." Teller sent the message and put his hands behind his back.

"Come on, buddy, time for you to get locked in a trunk underwater." Penn grabbed Teller by his tie and pulled him to their next stunt to practice.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Teller said.

* * *

Cherry was at her laptop still, and made a post about going away for a while and would be without her computer.

"Don't you remember when you met Belle?" Michelle sat on Cherry's bed. "You did just fine without technology there."

"Yeah, that was a nice adventure when my life wasn't being THREATENED!" Cherry remembered.

"Yeah, it had it's ups and downs." Michelle said.

"Ya think?" Cherry muttered, especially about the Christmas part of that stay. "I had nightmares for a week!"

"Okay, okay, more downs than ups." Michelle replied.

"And I always get hurt..." Cherry fluttered her lips.

"Cherry, you do not always get hurt..." Michelle said then.

Cherry glanced at her mother.

"Okay, you do get hurt from time to time." Michelle shrugged.

"Mm..." Cherry hummed, looking back to her screen.

"But I'm sure that things won't be that bad in Africa." Michelle assured her.

"What's gonna happen?" Cherry chuckled. "We turn into animals?"

"Who knows? Anything can happen with you and Atticus." Michelle said.

"Ooh, boy..." Cherry shrugged, she then heard her phone go off and she got a text back. "What do you mean _'See you there'_!?"

"Sounds like you just invited yourself to their trip." Michelle said.

Cherry texted back, over dramatically. "I WAS **JOKING!** "

"Well, it looks like they took it seriously." Michelle said.

"Of course they did..." Cherry face-palmed.

"So what now?" Michelle asked.

"I think I might wanna have a book on Africa..." Cherry shrugged, then went to her room library.

Michelle nodded, then decided to make dinner. Unknown to anyone, something interesting would indeed happen.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day was rushed to the airport and everyone dressed warmly. Cherry wore her short-sleeved jacket, already missing the other one since she liked colder weather, but hopefully she would adjust to the warmer climates.

"This is so exciting." Dot smiled.

"I just feel like there's more to this trip than meets the eye..." Darla bit her lip.

"Oh, come on, Darla, everything will be fine..." Patch soothed.

"Yeah, besides what could happen?" Atticus said.

"Something always does by this point..." Cherry said as she stood very close to an air conditioner and embraced the cold air before their ride would come to take them away.

"Calm down, I'm sure this trip will just be normal." Mo assured her.

Cherry laughed. "Funny word... Normal..."

They were all then called to get ready to go.

"Where's Maestro Forte?" Atticus asked.

An emo boy around Cherry's age appeared and blended in with the crowd.

"I think I just found him." Patch said.

* * *

With that, they all got set to leave as they were called away. Africa and the Savanna, here they come. Unknown to any of them, this would in fact, be the start of a new adventure. Dot was really nervous, she had never flown in a plane without her parents before.

"Don't worry, Dot, everything will be alright." Forte assured.

"Maybe I should've stayed home..." Dot sounded like she was going to cry.

"If you did stay home, you would have missed out on a trip of a lifetime." Forte said.

"I don't know..." Dot pouted.

"Besides, you still have Atticus, Darla, Patch, and Lucky." Forte told her.

Dot was still nervous, she kept imagining the worst things imaginable to happen in an airplane. Such as the plane crashing, they drown in the ocean, or a terrorist hijacks the plane... Her childish imagination always got the better of her.

"Darla, have you been on a plane before?" Atticus asked.

Darla tried to think. "Movie or real plane?"

"Real plane." Atticus said.

"Only once after LB adopted me," Darla explained. "I have to admit since it was my first plane ride, I was rather scared, but don't worry about it, Dot... It'll be over before you know it and the pilots know what they're doing."

"Too bad we can't let Dot go in the cockpit and meet the pilots," Cherry said. "My parents did that for me when we went to my grandmother's house when I was a baby and when my mom rode a plane for the first time when she was a little girl."

"Really?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah, they used to do it all the time." Cherry nodded her head.

"What happened?" Atticus asked.

"You know..." Cherry said, then put her hands over Dot's ears so she wouldn't hear and make her fear of being on the airplane any worse. "The War on Terror."

"Yikes." Atticus said.

"You should know that..." Cherry reminded Atticus since they were about the same age and were around Dot and Darla's age when that had happened.

"Oh, right..." Atticus frowned.

"You both were there when it happened?" Mo asked.

"We weren't there, we heard about it," Cherry explained. "No one would tell me what was happening and I heard my sister was in a building when... It got struck... She wasn't hurt though, thankfully enough."

"Oh, thank goodness." Mo sighed out of relief.

Dot and Darla were curious of what they were talking about. A stewardess walked by.

"Excuse me, do you think the girls could meet the pilots?" Cherry asked her. "Just this once?"

"Oh, I don't know... We have strict rules about-" the stewardess replied.

"Please." Dot begged, using the puppy dog eyes trick.

The stewardess sighed. "Okay, but just this once..."

"I'll take them." Atticus said, holding Dot's hand. "Come on, Darla."

Darla was curious, so she decided to go with them.

* * *

The pilots were flying the plane, staring at the fluffy white clouds as they flew through them.

"Cool!" Dot cheered.

The pilots briefly turned their heads and saw the little girls.

"These passengers would like to meet the pilots." the stewardess explained.

The pilots looked to each other, nowadays, this was against the rules, but since they were only children, they made an exception.

"So, you kids ever fly up in a plane before?" one pilot asked with an amused smile to cheer up the fearful child.

"First time for me." Dot said.

The other pilot made a gobsmacked expression on his face. "Well, really now!"

"Yeah." Dot nodded.

"Fascinating..." the other pilot said. "Maybe next time you're here, you could fly us home."

The other pilot chuckled to that. Dot laughed with them, finding that to be funny. The rest of the flight was enjoyable. After meeting the pilots, Dot and Darla enjoyed the flight and they were given badges that read 'junior airplane pilot' and even gave them certificates like they did in the old days.

* * *

The plane ride seemed to take forever, but they were finally now getting off the plane and getting ready to start their journey in Africa, little did they know, this would involve an adventure among the jungles in the Savanna. Something strange also came along the humans and the dogs as there was going to be an interesting change that would change them only temporarily but also be apart of this unknown adventure they were about to have. A beam of sunlight shine down on the six humans and two dogs.

"Hey, I feel kind of funny." Dot said.

Darla yawned. "Me too..."

Mo stretched a little. "It's probably jet lag, it happens to me all the time."

"Same here." Atticus said.

"Well, whatever it is, could one of you-" Cherry was about to ask, but she looked down to her hand and did not see a human hand, but she seemed to have a paw. "Huh!?"

The group of six walked over to what appeared to be a pool of water and they all looked to their reflections and all screamed as they were no longer human or dogs, but they were wildcats of the jungle. Their screams made a flock of birds fly off suddenly.

"W-W-W-We've been changed into wildcats!" Patch screamed.

"Why!? How!? When!?" Lucky flailed out.

"This isn't normal..." Mo said as her tail seemed to wave behind her back.

"We better look for help." Forte suggested.

They wandered around the jungle as the sun was slowly coming up behind them. There was a meerkat and warthog wandering ahead of them who seemed to be going on some lost journey on their own.


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you guys feel like we're not alone?" Dot asked.

"I feel like there's gonna be a stampede or somethin'... I don't know why though..." Mo said.

"I know why!" Cherry looked behind them to see a bunch of other animals coming into view. "RUN!"

The six screamed again and ran as the animals flooded in, appearing to be heading somewhere important.

"Where are all these animals heading?!" Patch screamed.

"How should I know!?" Darla cried as they ran.

The six saw a way out of the crowd and they fell and tumbled down as the animals passed them, going down a straight path. They panted and wheezed, very exhausted from the running.

* * *

"At least it can't get any worse..." Cherry said with a pant.

"Or can it?" a scratchy voice asked.

The group then turned to see three hyenas who grinned menacingly to them and laughed wickedly.

"Well, now we know why those animals were running." Atticus said.

"You guys look hungry... How's about you stay for breakfast?" the lead hyena who was a female came closer.

"Yeah, there's an all you can eat buffet right here and you're invited!" the other hyena who was male added.

The final hyena who was also a male didn't say anything and only lauhged like an insane person.

"Oh, sure what are we having?" Dot asked with a smile.

"Dot, these are hyenas, they're carnivores and they eat meat and right now, the breakfast is us if we don't fight back." Patch told her.

"So basically, they wanna eat us?" Dot asked.

"Yes." Atticus nodded.

"Oh... Okay... Well, in that case..." Dot said before screaming. "HELP!"

"Atticus, could you please fight them?" Darla asked her big brother.

"I'd love nothing more of it..." Atticus snarled, ready to fight.

There was a baboon walking down the pathway, but then saw the six jungle cats about to be devoured by the three hyenas. "Oh, my goodness!" And where to his surprise, he saw Atticus fight off the hyenas with his incredible strength.

* * *

After a while of Atticus fighting, the hyenas, the three of them, ran for their lives, scared of him.

"Yeah, that's right, you better run!" Darla called.

"Amazing..." the baboon said.

Forte turned and came up to the baboon. "Do not worry, I will not attack you... There's craziness about though."

"I should say so, my friend," the baboon said to him. "I've never seen a cub that strong in all my life."

"Well, that's because we're not really lion cubs, sir, we're actually six humans and two dogs." Patch told him.

Forte glanced to Patch, yes, that had happened, but it sounded like a crazy story.

"I know you all aren't from around here..." the baboon said. "I'd love to tell more, but I must meet King Mufasa and his mate, the Queen Sarabi."

"Would you mind if we came along?" Atticus asked.

"That is where the other animals are headed... Follow me right this way..." the baboon said and walked ahead of them to lead them to where the king and queen of the jungle were.

"This is so exciting." Dot smiled.

"Indeed..." the baboon chuckled as he led them.

* * *

The sun seemed to be up and more about as the animals came closer and closer to a rock structure. A blue bird was flying over to the rock and was actually going closer while the other animals stayed below the ground.

"It's too far away and long gone..." Cherry said. "Sorry, Dot, I can't tell from here."

"I just wanna know what happened to turn us into this..." Mo said as she felt odd to walk on all fours, even if she grew up around dogs for most of her life until she was adopted.

"Well, this isn't weird for us since we do walk on all fours." Patch and Lucky said.

"Yeah, you show-offs..." Mo lightly chuckled.

* * *

The baboon made the wildcats stay where they were and he climbed up on top of the rock after the blue bird from earlier perched himself in front of a golden lion with crimson mane and golden eyes. The baboon came up to the lion and was hugged with one paw and he went over to the tan lioness who was inside the cave of the rock and lightly purring.

"What's happening?" Dot whispered.

"I'm not sure." Darla whispered back.

"I think everyone's about to see the new lion cub." Mo whispered.

"New lion cub?" the girls asked.

The baboon was doing ancient African traditions of the jungle in welcoming in a new member of the family and it was indeed a young cub. After he finished the custom, the baboon picked up the lion cub in his arms and held him out for the animals to see their future royal of the jungle. In response, the animals jeered as the cub curiously stared down at the animals that were way below him in the food chain.

"Hey, look, it's the monkey!" the meerkat pointed.

"What's that he's holding up?" the warthog asked.

"Aw, who cares?" the meerkat scoffed as he traveled with the warthog. "It's not important."

"Who said that?" Atticus asked.

"Whoever it was, they were quite rude." Forte mumbled.

The animals all then bowed for the lion cub who was going to be their future ruler when he or she would get older. Even the heavens seemed happy, they opened up and a golden glow shined down on the lion family to start a brand new circle of life.

* * *

After the ceremony, the lions were about to cater to their child.

"Pardon me, sir," the baboon spoke to the lion in charge of the pride. "But there is a group who I have not seen before..."

"Oh?" the lion asked in a deep and demanding voice.

"Yes, sir..." the baboon replied. "There are two adults and the rest are cubs."

"Send them forth." the lion told him.

The baboon nodded and came to the group he had met. "You are asked to come meet King Mufasa, come right this way."

"Yes, sir." Atticus said.

The baboon led them up to the den.


	5. Chapter 5

The tan lioness held her cub close as her mate was hunched down next to her. The two lions looked up once they saw the other wildcats coming over to them. The cub did not look up, it was drinking milk from its mother.

"He's so cute." Dot cooed.

"Thank you, dear." the lioness smiled proudly.

"What's his name?" Lucky asked with a smile.

"We were going with Simba." the lion king replied.

"What perfect name, he looks like a Simba." Patch smiled.

The cub seemed to turn his head once his new name was discussed. He looked a lot like his father, only without the mane since he was only a cub.

"He will make a fine king someday," Mufasa smiled proudly, then looked to the guests. "I don't think I've seen you folks around Pride Rock before."

"We're new around here, we're from someplace far, far, far, far, far away." Atticus told him.

"Is that so?" the lioness asked, interested. "Where are you from?"

"You wouldn't believe it if we told you..." Cherry said. "Man, it's been crazy... First those animals, then those hyenas..."

"Hyenas?" Mufasa asked in concern. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, they didn't, Your Highness, but my boyfriend here got to fight them off without getting a scratch." Mo smiled, referring to Atticus when she said boyfriend.

Atticus looked sheepish about Mo calling him her boyfriend, he wasn't mad or annoyed, but it was surprising that she admitted it to a complete stranger.

"Impressive..." Mufasa said to Atticus. "If you have nowhere else to go, my pride is always open."

"Oh, sir, we wouldn't want to impose..." Forte spoke up.

"I insist," Mufasa said, looking to Forte and Lucky. "Your cubs are welcome to stay with me if you wish."

"Oh, um, they're not exactly our cubs, we're just watching over them." Forte told him.

"But, I'm real close with this kiddo right here." Lucky said about Patch.

"Would you like to stay with us regardless?" the lioness asked. "You don't seem to have anywhere else to go."

"We'd love to stay, Your Majesty." Atticus said with a bow.

"Stay as long as you need to..." the lioness smiled, then looked to the cubs. "I'm sure Simba would like some playmates of his own..."

"Aren't there any other cubs?" Mo asked.

"Not yet, but my dear friend Sarafina is expecting very soon." the lioness replied.

"I'm sure that her son will be handsome or her daughter will be beautiful." Forte said.

"Thank you," Mufasa said. "Let's get acquainted and settled then."

The group gave their names when they had the chance to introduce themselves.

"It's very nice to meet all of you." Mufasa smiled.

"Likewise, sir." Darla gave a small nod.

"Are you all hungry?" Sarabi asked.

"Funny you mention that..." Cherry said, licking her lips. "I have this weird craving for a zebra for some reason..."

"Same here." Forte, Atticus, Dot, Darla, Lucky, and Patch said at the same time.

Cherry saw a galloping zebra. "Hey, wait up, I love fast food!" she said before stalking after the black and white striped horse of the wild.

The others then followed after her, wanting to eat the zebra as well.

"Strange folks..." Musfasa commented.

"It's almost as if they haven't been in the wild before..." Sarabi agreed, but shrugged. "I like them."

"I like them too." Mufasa smiled.

Simba seemed to have a small smile, seeming to agree with his parents.

* * *

"How is it hard to catch this zebra?" Atticus asked.

Cherry snarled and jumped up in the air and tried to jump at the zebra, but missed. "Dang... Looks like I need a pouncing lesson or something..."

"We all need pouncing lessons." Mo panted.

Cherry groaned and looked quite sick.

Forte however outran them and came back with the zebra now dead and placed it in front of Cherry. "Here.. Eat..."

"What in the heck?" Cherry stood up on all fours then.

"Since me and Forte are full-grown lions, we seem to have more experience with pouncing and hunting." Lucky said.

"That and I just want you to keep up your strength, Cerise." Forte added.

"You're really weird..." Cherry said to the former court composer about his obsession with her being safe and alive.

"Let's eat." Atticus smiled.

Dot and Darla cringed about the idea of eating a rotten and decaying zebra. Mo felt the same, but she actually tried it, but possibility due to her new lion DNA, she liked it and started to eat it right up. The others did the same as their lion instincts told them to join in an eat. Forte only seemed to drink the blood.

* * *

After they finished the zebra, they all felt full and satisfied.

"That was pretty good..." Darla said as she put her paw on her full belly.

"It sure was." Patch said, rubbing his belly.

Dot burped loudly, then cupped her muzzle. "Oh, excuse me..."

"Good one." Mo chuckled rather immaturely, possibly due to her upbringing.

"Did you get enough to eat?" Forte asked Cherry. "Are you still hungry? Do you feel light-headed?"

"Maestro, please!" Cherry put her paw up in dismissal.

"Okay, Forte, I think she's alright." Lucky told him.

"Just making sure..." Forte backed off then.

Cherry groaned to him.

"You might be taking it a little too far trying to keep her safe." Lucky whispered to Forte.

"I just want her to know I'm sorry..." Forte whispered to Lucky. "I may had been knocked out after the incident, but I could hear what she was saying or doing..."

"You could?" Lucky asked.

"I remember most of it all too well..." Forte narrated.

* * *

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _It was another winter morning in the Beast's castle._

 _Cherry was tossing and turning in the bed she was sleeping in and looked quite traumatized. "No... No... GET AWAY!" she then sat up in her bed, panting and sweating from her painful nightmare._

 _"Cherry, are you okay?" Belle asked._

 _Cherry wiped her forehead and panted slightly. "I was having a dream..." she mumbled._

 _"Nightmare?" Belle guessed based on her reactions._

 _"Uh-huh..." Cherry flopped back against the bed as her heart raced._

 _"Was it about Forte?" Belle asked._

 _Cherry had tears in her eyes from how horrific her bad dream was and she nodded._

 _"It's okay, Cherry..." Belle hugged Cherry gently, though still tight like how a mother would. "He's gone now and he won't hurt you ever again..."_

 _"I just want the bad dreams to go away..." Cherry groaned._

 _"I'm sure they will soon." Belle soothed._

 _"What if he's not really dead though, Belle?" Cherry asked. "He was just a big pipe organ when the Beast smashed his keyboard against him..."_

 _"He hasn't moved in weeks, so we think he's dead." Belle told her._

 _"But what if he's just knocked out?" Cherry asked._

 _"If that were true, he would be moving by now." Belle said._

 _"I don't know..." Cherry frowned._

 _"Come along now..." Belle stood up and walked to the doorway. "I'm sure Mrs. Potts and Chef Bouche have breakfast ready..."_

 _Cherry sighed a little, then followed after Belle. When they walked down the hall, Cherry couldn't help but stare at the West Wing where the music room was behind._

 ** _*Flashback Ends*_**

* * *

The others weren't sure what to do once they filled up on a whole zebra to share, so they returned to Pride Rock. Sarabi was watching over Simba while Mufasa occasionally came by and at times, he had to speak with his bird friend who seemed to be a second-in-command of some type.

"Hello." Patch said.

"Did you all find some lunch?" Sarabi smiled to them.

"Yes, we did, um, how's Simba?" Darla asked.

"He's doing fine, thank you," Sarabi smiled. "Just keeping an eye on him... Mufasa is seeing his brother right now."

"He has a brother?" Atticus asked. "If that's true, why didn't he come to the celebration?"

"He probably got caught up in something, I don't know, I don't really talk with Scar that much." Sarabi said.

"How come?" Dot asked.

"Something about him rubs me the wrong way, I know he's my mate's brother, but something about him gets under my fur." Sarabi replied.

"Does it send a chill down your spine?" Forte asked.

"Mostly whenever he looks directly at me." Sarabi said.

"He must be evil then." Patch said.

"Something about him just bothers me..." Sarabi said, putting her paw on Simba's tail tip so he wouldn't get hurt.

"Simba's so cute." Mo cooed.

"Thank you, my dear," Sarabi smiled. "I think he looks so much like Mufasa."

"He sure does." Atticus said.

Forte and Lucky wandered off, deciding to see Mufasa himself.

* * *

There was a dark brown furred lion with frizzy black mane with green eyes who was bothering the blue bird and nearly ate him alive.

"Scar?" Mufasa called.

"Hm?" the other lion looked with his mouth full.

"Drop him." Mufasa then demanded.

"Impeccable timing, Your Majesty." The blue bird's beak said as he tried to get out of the other lion's mouth.

Scar turned the other way and spat out the blue bird which was revealed to be a hornbill.

"Are you okay?" Lucky asked with a disgusted wince.

"I think so. Yuck! Saliva!" The hornbill winced.

"Whhhy, if it isn't my big brother descending on high to mingle with the commoners." Scar greeted, sarcastically overjoyed.

"Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba." Mufasa said to the other male lion.

"That was today?" Scar faked astonishment before turning to a rock wall and scratching his claws against it like nails on a chalkboard. "Oh, I feel simply awful!"

"Must he do that?!" Lucky winced as he began to cover his ears.

"That appointment must've slipped my mind..." Scar said innocently, looking to his claws.

"Yes, well, as slippery as your mind is, as the king's brother, you should have been first in line!" the hornbill retorted to the black maned lion.

Scar clamped his jaws at the bird, which sent it away, rather cowardly. "Well, I was first in line... Until the little hairball was born."

"That hairball is my son and your future king." Mufasa firmly told his brother.

"Yeah, you should treat him with more respect." Lucky added.

"Oh, then I shall practice my curtsy..." Scar said, wandering off mysteriously.

Mufasa didn't like that. "Don't turn your back on me, Scar!" he warned sharply.

"Oh, no, Mufasa," Scar replied. "Perhaps _you_ shouldn't turn _your_ back on _me_."

"This guy sure is rude." Lucky whispered.

Mufasa rushed over to his brother and bore his fangs, roaring slightly. "Is that a challenge!?"

"Temper, temper," Scar sighed. "I wouldn't dream of challenging you."

"Pity, why not?" the hornbill asked.

"Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion's share," Scar replied looking to the hornbill and three adult male lions. "But, when it comes to brute strength, I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool..." he then walked off mysteriously without another word.

The hornbill deeply sighed. "There's one in every one, Sire... Two in mine, actually..." he then perched on the lion king's shoulder. "And they always manage to ruin special occasions."

"My family was not the best there was..." Forte agreed.

"What am I going to do with him?" Mufasa sighed about his brother.

"He'd make a very handsome throw rug." The hornbill smirked.

"Zazu?" Mufasa smirked back.

"And just think!" Lucky helped with a chuckle. "Whenever he gets dirty, you could take him out and BEAT him."

This made the adults chuckle together as they went back into Pride Rock.


	6. Chapter 6

"He's so handsome, dear..." a cream colored lioness with aqua eyes beamed.

"Thank you, Sarafina." Sarabi smiled to her closest and oldest friend.

"So how long have you two known each other?" Mo asked, referring to the two lionesses.

"Since we were little cubs," Sarafina smiled. "We're like sisters."

"Awww!" Mo smiled.

"These are our guests." Sarabi introduced.

"Welcome to Pride Rock," Sarafina smiled to their guests. "You must be from a very long way away if you're not familiar with our home."

"We're from some place that's really far away from here." Atticus said.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here." Sarafina smiled to them.

"I'm sure we will while learning a few things." Mo said.

This turned out to be a rather exciting time.

* * *

That night, everyone was getting to bed, Mufasa invited his guests to spend the night. They felt they had no choice, they were very curious of what hapepend to them and why they were now jungle cats, but they decided to just go with it as they were now part of the lion pride.

'This is another adventure, I can already tell.' Atticus thought to himself.

"Darla, why are we wildcats?" Dot asked.

"I don't know..." Darla said with a yawn. "I'm sure it'll be all okay soon though."

"Yeah, let's just get some sleep." Patch yawned.

Cherry frowned, she didn't think sleeping on a cold rock floor would be comfy, but once she lay down, she was actually surprised to see that it wasn't so bad.

"You okay, Cerise?" Forte asked.

"I guess this isn't too bad..." Cherry said once she settled down on the floor and yawned. "Are you gonna sleep too or are you just gonna wander around until dawn?"

"I feel sleepy." Forte said.

Cherry shrugged to him, then fell asleep.

Forte got in a comfortable spot next to her and fell asleep next to her. "Bon nuit, Cerise."

* * *

As the days passed, Simba began to grow up into a fine young lion cub. Eventually, Sarafina's cub was born and she had a daughter, naming her Nala. Simba and Nala became the best of friends, and they enjoyed hanging out with their other friends who were visitors to Pride Rock. One day was different however, Mufasa promised a certain day in which he would show his son the kingdom that was the jungle they lived in and their guests were happy to join them if they wanted to.

Simba woke up before the sun came up as he was excited, it was the day his father promised him about. He then ran off inside the cave to find his dad, accidentally climbing over the others, but he excused himself and apologized for disturbing them. "Dad, Dad, come on, we gotta go! Wake up!"

Mufasa was still asleep next to Sarabi.

"Dad? Daaad..." Simba was frustrated, then tried to wake his father up by tugging on his ear. "Dad!"

"Your son is awake..." Sarabi said sleepily with an amused smile.

"Before sunrise, he's your son..." Mufasa retorted, also sleepy.

"Simba, could you keep it down, we're trying to sleep." Lucky groaned before getting his right ear pulled by Patch.

"Come on, Lucky, Mufasa promised to show us around today!" Patch called, muffling.

"It's true, Lucky, he did promise." Atticus smiled.

Simba ran against his father. "You promised!"

Mufasa slowly woke up and saw his son in sheer impatience, then smiled. "Okay, okay... I'm up... I'm up..."

"Yeah!" Simba cheered.

"Wahoo!" Patch cheered.

Mufasa yawned and woke up as his mate slowly followed after. Patch, Atticus, Lucky, Dot, and Darla followed after them as well. Simba smiled to his mother once he saw her and nuzzled against her before going out as the sun was now slowly coming up. Cherry woke up and decided to join the others as Forte was still asleep.

"How can he still be asleep?" Lucky asked after noticing the court composer/lion still sleeping.

"He doesn't sleep much in his original form, he's probably catching up." Cherry guessed.

"Must be that." Lucky said.

Sarabi smiled to the others, though mostly to Simba.

* * *

The sun was fully up now and everything looked golden from the sunrise highlighting the jungle.

"Look, Simba," Mufasa told his son. "Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

"Wow..." Simba whispered in awestruck.

"Amazing." Atticus said, amazed by the view.

"A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun," Mufasa continued. "One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king."

"And this will all be his?" Darla asked.

"Everything." Mufasa confirmed.

"Everything the light touches..." Simba then repeated before looking to a canon in the north spot, very curious of it. "What about that shadowy place?"

"That's beyond our borders," Mufasa firmly replied. "You must never go there."

"But I thought a king could do whatever he wants." Patch said.

"Oh, there's more to being king than getting your way all the time." Mufasa started down the rock again.

"There's more?" Simba asked, amazed.

Mufasa chuckled to that. "Simba..."

"Your father is right, Simba, and Patch, there is more to be a king." Atticus said.

* * *

Mufasa walked his son and guests out further into the Savanna as there were galloping and leaping antelopes. "Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance," he continued to educate his son while showing the others around their home. "As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope."

"I thought you lions ate antelope?" Dot asked from confusion.

"Yes, my dear, but let me explain," Mufasa nodded to her. "When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life."

"Cool, I don't think any humans know about that." Atticus said.

Mufasa looked curious why Atticus brought up humans, but changed the subject mentally as the blue hornbill flew in.

"Good morning, Sire!"

"Good morning, Zazu." Mufasa smiled to the bird.

"Checking in with the morning report." Zazu told him.

"Fire away." Mufasa told him.

Cherry saw a grasshopper and tried to pounce at it, remembering the encounter she had with the zebra for their first meal as lions, but still failed miserably. Atticus, Patch, Dot, Darla, and Simba began to give it a try next, but they failed as well. Darla growled in frustration.

"What are you all doing?" Mufasa asked the cubs.

"Pouncing." Simba pouted.

"Let an old pro show you all how it's done." Mufasa whispered sneakily.

Zazu continued his rant, unaware of what was going on.

"Zazu, would you turn around?" Mufasa requested.

"Of course, Sire." Zazu agreed, not knowing why, but turned around while continuing on.

"Stay low to the ground..." Mufasa whispered to the cubs as Zazu drew on about the animals of the wild.

Zazu realized something was going amiss. "What's going on?"

"A pouncing lesson." Mufasa smiled.

"Oh, very good, pouncing," Zazu smiled before panicking instantly. "POUNCING!? Oh, sir, you can't be serious... Oh, this is so humiliating..."

"Try not make a sound." Mufasa whispered back to the cubs.

"What are you telling them, Mufasa?" Zazu glared before noticing that the lions had somehow vanished. "Simba? Mufasa? Others...?"

Atticus, Patch, and Simba then pounced at him at the same time. Mufasa chuckled at that.

"Oh, poor Zazu..." Dot cooed.

Simba smiled that they were able to successfully pounce.

"That's very good, cubs." Mufasa said, still laughing a little.

"Thank you, sir." Atticus smiled.

A gopher emerged from the ground and told Zazu something very important.

"Now... This time..." Mufasa was about to let the girls have a turn.

"Sire!" Zazu panicked again, but this time, for a more life threatening reason. "Hyenas! In the Pridelands!"

"Zazu, take Simba and the others home." Mufasa told the hornbill, starting to run off to take care of the hyenas.

"Wait, sir, let us come with you." Atticus insisted.

"No." Mufasa curtly replied as he went off anyway.

Simba sighed. "I never get to go anywhere..."

"Dang it." Atticus groaned.

"Don't worry, young master," Zazu soothed the lion prince. "One day you will be king and then you can chase those slobbery, mangy, stupid poachers from dawn until dusk."

* * *

They went back to Pride Rock, now wondering what to do.

"So, what do you wanna do, Simba?" Mo asked.

"I'm not sure..." Simba hummed in thought, then looked up to see a familiar brown-furred lion with frizzy black mane. "Uncle Scar!" he cried happily and rushed over.

"We better keep up with him." Atticus said.


	7. Chapter 7

Scar was wandering around and kicked a bone out of place.

"Hey, Uncle Scar, guess what?" Simba smiled to his paternal uncle.

Scar rolled his eyes, deeply scowling. "I despise guessing games..."

"I'm going to be king of Pride Rock." Simba smield rather smugly.

"It's true." Atticus said.

"Oh, goody." Scar sarcastically praised.

"His dad just showed us the whole kingdom." Patch smiled.

"And I'm gonna rule it all," Simba smirked greedily with a light chuckle. "Heheh,..."

"Yes, well, forgive me for not leaping for joy..." Scar muttered, flopping on the side slightly.

"Hey, Uncle Scar, when I'm king, what will that make you?" Simba asked.

"A monkey's uncle..." Scar muttered.

"Heheh, you're so weird." Dot giggled.

You have no idea..." Scar smiled rather strangely, then stood up on all fours. "So, your father showed you the whole kingdom, did he, Simba?"

"Everything." Simba nodded.

"He didn't show you what's beyond the rise of that northern border?" Scar prompted.

"Well... No..." Simba said as he remembered in disappointment. "He said I can't go there. Neither of us can." he then added, referring to his new friends.

"Yeah and where it's so unfair, if he was there when I fought off those three hyenas, he would have totally agreed in letting us go." Atticus said.

"You fought three hyenas?" Scar asked.

"Yeah, I'm a lot stronger than I look." Atticus smiled smugly, he didn't mean to brag, but it was true.

"Trust us, you don't wanna mess with my brother." Darla added with a smile.

"So I see..." Scar glanced to Atticus. "Perhaps Simba, this friend of yours could protect you since it's far too dangerous and only the bravest lions go to the northern border."

"Well, I'm brave," Simba stood tall. "What's out there?"

"No, I'm sorry, Simba, I just can't tell any of you." Scar replied coolly.

"But why can't you tell us?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, I'm just looking out for the well-being of my favorite nephew." Scar said, ruffling the top of Simba's head.

"Yeah, right," Simba chuckled. "I'm your only nephew."

"All the more reason for me to be protective," Scar smiled. "An elephant graveyard is no place for a prince.. Oops!"

"An elephant what!?" Cherry got excited for some reason. "Whoa!"

"Cool." Atticus smiled out of excitement, even if the elephant graveyard sounded like a frightening place to anyone.

Simba even smiled excitedly. Mo was more curious than excited like the others.

"Oh, dear, I've said too much!" Scar put his paw to his head like he was in dismay.

"The elephant graveyard sounds exciting." Patch smiled.

"Well, I'd suppose you'd have have figured it out sooner or later..." Scar saiid as he pulled Simba forward. "Oh, all of you, just do me a favor, promise me you'll never visit that dreadful place."

"Aw..." Cherry pouted.

"Promise me?" Scar repeated.

Simba thought about it a moment before answering. "No problem."

"Yeah, we won't tell a living soul." Atticus said with one paw behind his back.

"There's a good bunch of cubs," Scar smiled and let them go free. "You all run along now and have fun... And remember, it's our little secret."

"Come on, guys, let's go see Nala." Simba said to his new friends before wandering off with his new friends.

"You got it, Simba, let's go see your girlfriend." Patch teased.

"She's not my girlfriend." Simba frowned.

"Whatever you say." Patch said.

"She's just my friend, it's not like I'm gonna grow up and marry her..." Simba rolled his golden eyes, then looked to Atticus and Mo. "You two maybe..."

"Uhhh..." Atticus and Mo looked to each other bashfully, unsure of how to respond to that.

* * *

Simba took his friends to where the other lionesses were and he found his best friend with her mother. "Hey, Nala."

"Hey, Simba and the gang..." Nala greeted with a small smile as she was clutched in her mother's paws.

"Come on, we just heard about this great place." Simba invited.

"Guys, I'm kinda in the middle of a bath..." Nala said behind her clenched teeth.

"And it's time for yours." Sarabi, Lucky, and Forte smirked.

The others tried to get away, but they were being licked instantly.

"MOM!" Simba groaned in embarrassment as his mother licked the top of his head.

Sarabi merely smiled in response.

"LUCKY!" Patch groaned in embarrassment as his father figure licked the top of his head. "Lucky, you're messing up my mane!"

Lucky patted him on the head.

Cherry got herself free, glaring up at Forte. "Nobody gave you the right to do that!"

"I just want to make sure my little friend and her friends are okay." Forte said to her.

Cherry scoffed at him. "You are so weird..."

"Anyway, we're clean, can we go now?" Mo groaned.

"So, where are we going?" Nala asked as her mother flipped her on her back. "Better not be anyplace dumb..."

"Don't worry, it's not dumb, it's really cool." Atticus smiled.

"So, where is this 'really cool' place?" Sarabi asked with a smirk.

"Oh, umm... That water hole place..." Darla made up.

The others saw where this was going and agreed, though Nala did not know, so she thought that was stupid.

"The water hole!?" Nala scoffed. "What's so great about the water hole?"

"We'll show you when we get there." Atticus and Simba, telling her through the their teeth.

"Oh..." Nala sensed an idea, then looked to her mother. "Mom, can I go with them?"

"Hmm... What do you all think?" Sarafina asked her fellow 'parents'.

"Well..." Lucky drawled out.

"Please..." Simba and Nala forced grins.

"It's all right with us." Forte agreed.

This made the cubs cheer in excitement about to go.

"As long as Zazu goes with you." Sarabi told them then.

"Nah, not Zazu!" Simba groaned to that.

"Don't worry, Simba, I've got a plan for us to lose Zazu." Atticus whispered.

"Oh?" Simba asked.

"Yeah... You're gonna love it." Atticus chuckled.

* * *

Zazu came by eventually to fly the cubs over to the water hole. "Step lively," he told the children. "The sooner we get to the water hole, the sooner we can leave."

"So where are we really going?" Nala asked quietly.

"An elephant graveyard." Patch whispered back.

"Wow!" Nala cheered.

Dot shushed her.

"Zazu..." Simba reminded.

"Right..." Nala remembered, then whispered back. "So, how are we gonna ditch the dodo?"

"Easy, all we have to do is..." Atticus whispered before he began to whisper the whole entire plan to all of them while Zazu flew above.

"Oh, just look at this," Zazu smiled as he decided fly down as Simba, Nala, Atticus, and Mo seemed to be getting rather close. "Little seeds of romance blossoming in the savannah. Your parents will be thrilled what with you being betrothed and all."

"Be-What?" Simba asked.

"Betrothed," Zazu repeated, then used other words to show what he meant. "Intended... Affianced..."

"Ohh, he's saying that one day, the four of us will be getting married." Atticus said before blushing as soon as he understood what the hornbill meant.

"Yuck!" Simba winced.

"Eww." Nala added.

"I can't marry her, she's my friend." Simba said then.

"Yeah, I don't know about Atticus and Mo, but for us, it'd be so weird." Nala added in agreement.

"Well, sorry to bust your bubble, but you two turtledoves don't have a choice, this is a tradition, going back generations." Zazu told them while Simba, Atticus, and Patch were mimicking him.

"Well, when I'm king, that'll be first to go." Simba smiled smugly.

"Not so long as I'm around." Zazu retorted.

"Well, in that case you're fired." Simba smirked again.

"Hmm... Nice try, but only the king can do that." Zazu poked the cub in his nose.

"Well, he is the future king." Atticus told the hornbill.

"Yeah," Simba then shoved Zazu slightly. "So you have to do what I tell you."

"Not yet, I don't!" Zazu glared at the cub. "And with an attitude like that, I'm afraid you're shaping up to be a pretty pathetic king indeed."

"Ha! Not the way I see it." Simba smirked.

"Me neither." Patch smiled.

"Oh, boy, this is gonna be messy, isn't it?" Cherry slightly rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, it is." Mo, Dot, and Darla nodded.

"Oh, boy..." Cherry sighed. "Only Atticus."

Simba stormed toward the blue hornbill. "I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!"

"Well, I've never seen a king or beast with quite so little hair." Zazu retorted, plucking a hair off of Simba's head where his mane would be.

"I'm gonna be the main event like no king was before," Simba smiled as he popped his head through a pile of leave in a branch to make it look like he had a mane before shaking it off and going straight back to Zazu. "I'm brushing up on looking down, I'm working on my 'ROAR'!"

Zazu flopped into the mud, then wandered blindly, wiping himself with an elephant's ear without noticing it. "Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing."

The elephant glared and struck Zazu across the Savanna, feeling insulted and he passed the water like a skipping stone.

* * *

"Oh, I just can't wait to be king!" Simba grinned.

Atticus and Nala decided to add themselves into the song.

"You've rather a long way to go, young master, if you think..." Zazu started before getting interrupted.

"No one say do this." Atticus sang.

"Now, when I said that I-" Zazu tried to explain.

"No one say 'be there'." Mo added.

"What I meant was!" Zazu continued.

"No one say stop that!" Simba added in.

"Look, what you don't realize-" Zazu tried again.

"No one saying 'see here'!" Atticus, Mo, Patch, Simba, and Nala sang in unison before running off.

"NOW SEE HERE!" Zazu yelled out.

"Free to run around all day!" Dot and Darla sang.

"Well, that's definitely out." Zazu scolded, trying to catch up as the cubs were riding on ostriches.

"Free to do it all my way!" Simba added.

Zazu began to catch up with them as he flew past many trees and then was finally in front of the cubs. "I think it's time that you and I arranged the heart to heart." he told Simba before crashing into a rhinocereses's butt.

"Kings don't need advice from little hornbills for a start." Mo retorted.

Zazu flew to a branch that was heading backwards to a waterfall. "If this is where the monarchy is headed, count me out!" he folded his wings. "Out of service, out of Africa, I wouldn't hang about!" he then fell before flying to go after the cubs. "These children are certainly getting out of wing!"

"Oh, I just can't wait to be king!" Simba sang as he went down between zebras with his friends who faced them.

Zazu stormed after, but the zebras turned their backs to him, which made him flinch slightly.

 _'This is so much fun.'_ Patch thought to himself.

* * *

The cubs were passing by a stomping elephant, being very careful not to get stomped on by the large feet. Zazu was flying ahead of the passing elephants to look for the children, he was a little worried about them now since they could be squished if they weren't too careful.

"Everybody, look left!" Atticus sang, causing a herd of animals to stampede over Zazu.

Zazu screamed as he was quite literally stepped on.

"Everybody look right!" Mo added.

The animals went the other way.

"Everywhere you look," Simba slid down a giraffe's neck. "I'm standing in the spotlight!"

"NOT YET!" Zazu snapped before the animals he stood beside squashed him.

Atticus began to whisper to a hippo, who passed it on to a giraffe, who passed it on to a monkey. Zazu straightened himself out before the monkeys flung the poor bird in the air and started to treat him for fleas, much to his mild annoyance. Hippos, anteaters, giraffes, and more started to form a pyramid with the cubs as Simba sang about not being able to wait about becoming king. And where it was all going great, but then the pyramid began to feel like it was about to fall. The animals were in distress.

"Guys, this way!" Cherry whispered to the others so they could get out of the way before they could get seriously hurt.

All of the cubs then ran off before all of the animals could pile on top of them. Unfortunately, Zazu was not so lucky and a rhino had fallen on top of him as the other animals scurried away.


	8. Chapter 8

"You don't see that on Animal Planet." Cherry muttered as they got away.

"Yeah." Mo agreed.

"All right, it worked!" Simba laughed once they got away.

"We lost him!" Nala added.

" _I_ am a genius." Simba arrogantly stated.

"Uh-Oh." Patch said.

"Hey, genius, it was Atticus's idea." Nala glared.

"Well, I pulled it off." Simba smirked.

"With me." Nala smirked back.

"Oh, yeah!?" Simba roared before tackling her and trying to pin her.

However, Nala got on top of him and held him down on the ground with a chuckle. "Pinned ya."

"Nala one, Simba zero." Atticus rated.

"Hey, let me up!" Simba grunted.

Nala got off and walked off simply. Simba then pounced on Nala and the two tumbled down the hill.

Nala then pinned Simba down again. "Nala two, Simba zero." she then rated herself with a smirk.

"Guys, are we where I think we are?" Patch asked.

* * *

The others looked as a geyser then shot before them, but didn't hurt any of them. They were surrounded by gray grounds with several bones and what appeared to be an elephant skull.

"This might be it." Darla agreed with the former Dalmatian puppy.

"Yep, this is it, we've made it to the elephant graveyard." Atticus nodded.

They looked over the ledge they were on and looked throughout the graveyard.

"Whoa!" the cubs called in amazement.

"It's really creepy." Nala commented.

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Cherry loved the dark atmosphere.

"We could get into big trouble." Nala said.

"I know, huh?" Simba smirked.

Cherry crawled ahead. "I wonder if its brains are still in there..."

"Only one way we can know," Mo smirked, feeling mischievous due to being away from her adoptive parents who would highly frown upon this. "Come on, let's go check it out."

"I agree." Atticus said.

However, before they could, a familiar hornbill flew in front of them, very much peeved off. "The only checking out you lot will do will to be to check out of here!"

"Aw, man." Simba groaned.

"We're way beyond the boundary of the Pride Lands!" Zazu trembled, almost as if he expected something to come out at them right about now.

"Sounds like Banana Beak is scared." Patch smirked.

"It's 'Mr.' Banana Beak to you, FUZZY!" Zazu glared at him. "And right now, we're all in very real danger!"

"Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side..." Simba retorted. "I laugh at the face of danger! Hahaha!"

His laughter then came with three laughs that sounded familiar and actually frightened Simba.

"Those three laughs sound familiar." Atticus said.

"Well, well, well, Banzai, what have we got here?" the female hyena asked as she came with her two followers.

"Hmm... I don't know, Shenzi," the one male replied. "Eh... What do you think, Ed?"

The third and final hyena babbled before laughing hysterically.

"Yeah, that's just what I was thinking," Banzai grinned darkly as he circled with his fellow hyenas. "A trio of trespassers with our leftover take-out orders!"

"Hello." Atticus smirked.

"And quite by accident, I assure you, a little misdirection error." Zazu said, nervously while trying to get them out of the graveyard.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Shenzi put her paw down on Zazu's tail feathers. "I know you... You're Mufasa's little stooge!"

"I, madame, in the king's majordomo!" Zazu replied.

"That's a lady?" Patch asked before Zazu covered his mouth.

Shenzi heard that and lowly growled.

"And what would that make you?" Banzai asked Simba.

"The future king." Simba replied strongly.

"Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?" Shenzi sneered.

"You can't do anything to him!" Darla scoffed.

"Actually, they can, we are on their land." Zazu said nervously.

"But Zazu, you told us they were nothing, but mangy, stupid poachers." Atticus smirked.

"Ix-nay on the upid-stay!" Zazu mumbled nervously.

"Who you callin' upid-stay!?" Banzai snapped.

"Oh, my, look at the sun, it's time to go!" Zazu backed up with the cubs anxiously.

"Yeah, we should really get going." Dot said.

"What's the hurry?" Shenzi smirked. "We'd looove you to stick around for dinner!"

"Yeah," Banzai laughed in agreement. "We could have whatever's 'lion' around!"

Dot did find that kind of funny as she giggled.

"Wait, wait, I got one," Shenzi spoke up. "Make mine a 'cub sandwich'! What do you think?" she then laughed with Banzai.

Ed grunted and pointed to the other way.

"What, Ed!?" Shenzi glared.

Banzai saw where he was pointing to. "Hey, did we order this dinner to go?"

"No, why?" Shenzi asked.

" **'CUZ THERE IT GOES!** " Banzai said as Zazu escaped with the cubs.

"Why aren't you fighting them off?!" Darla asked her big brother.

"I'm just waiting for the right time to fight them!" Atticus told her.

"Shouldn't that be now!?" Dot asked.

"Trust me on this!" Atticus promised.

Zazu wasn't so lucky, one of the hyenas grabbed his tail and yanked him back.

* * *

"Did we lose 'em?" Nala asked, panting.

"I think so..." Simba also panted. "Where's Zazu?"

"He will be missed." Darla said.

Simba went back however. The hyenas shoved Zazu into a geyser which then erupted with him inside of it and it rocketed him all the way back to the Pride Lands.

"Hey!" Simba growled. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"Like you?" Shenzi glared.

"Oops..." Simba felt scared instantly.

"Run!" Darla screamed.

Nala screamed as they tried to run from the hyenas.

"Atticus, do something!" Dot urged her older cousin.

"Just wait until we're cornered!" Patch told her.

"This is the craziest day of my life!" Cherry yelped.

"Just keep running!" Nala screamed.

The hyenas followed after, taunting and tormenting the cubs on the way, not caring that Atticus kicked their sorry butts last time.

"BOO!" the hyenas showed their faces through a methane vent in a rather nightmarish way.

This made Patch, Darla, and Dot scream from surprise and that it looked kind of scary to them. The hyenas laughed at them being scared as they kept chasing. The cubs ended up sliding down a spine like a rollar-coaster ride, but they did not have the time or humor to be laughing or cheering about it, as this was a matter or life or death.

"Whoa!" Atticus yelled.

The group emerged from the bones and was about to move on.

"Guys!" Darla cried as she was stuck and screamed for her dear life.

Atticus came back for his little sister and clawed Shenzi on the cheek before going to save Darla and bring her back with the others. This caused Shenzi to growl at him, wanting to make him pay for that. The hyenas kept following after the cubs as they cornered them in a cave.

* * *

The cubs tried to hop up some old elephant skin, but it split apart and made them all fall on top of each other, unable to escape any further.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." Banzai grinned darkly as he and the others caught up.

Simba glared at the hyenas, then tried to roar, but since he was only a cub, it did not sound very convincing.

"That was it?!" Shenzi laughed. "Do it again, come on."

"These three are mine." Atticus said before he crouched down and pouncing on the three hyenas and attacked them.

The hyenas gasped and groaned as they were getting beaten by the little cub. Mufasa was coming, looking vicious and ready to fight, but stopped himself once he saw Atticus pummeling the hyenas. Lucky and Forte did the same, but weren't surprised by this, but Mufasa was, with him not knowing how strong Atticus was. The hyenas begged for mercy through their howls of pain.

" **SILENCE!** " Atticus snarled in their faces.

"Oh, we're gonna shut up right now." Banzai moaned.

"Calm down," Shenzi added. "We're really sorry!"

"If you ever come near me, and friends, or little sister, and cousin again." Atticus growled.

"Oh, they... They... You know these guys?" Shenzi asked nervously.

"Oh, you know them?" Banzai nearly echoed.

"Did you know that?"

"No... Me? I-I-I didn't know that, no! Did you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"No."

Shenzi and Banzai then looked to their other friend. "Ed?"

Ed smiled to them and nodded his head, stupidly. Atticus then surprisingly was able to roar like a lion out of anger and frustration with these three. The three hyenas shivered.

"Toodles!" Banzai said and fled away with Shenzi and Ed.

Zazu flew in front of Mufasa and nodded his head with a smile, about to say something. Mufasa glared down at the blue hornbill, looking very angry and disappointed.

"Dad, I..." Simba walked over to his father.

"Let's go home." Mufasa sternly said.

"Maybe Lucky and Forte will vouch for us." Patch smiled nervously.

"I shudder to imagine what Maestro Forte would be like as a father..." Cherry mumbled.

"I thought you were very brave." Nala whispered to Simba, even if Atticus was the one who fought off the hyenas.

* * *

They walked off, going back into the Pridelands as Mufasa was strongly silent. Lucky was the same while Forte was staying by Cherry's side. Zazu looked almost sorry for the cubs.

"Zazu!" Mufasa firmly called for the hornbill.

Zazu flew closer to the lion king in full respect. "Yes, Sire?"

"Take Nala home," Mufasa demanded. "I'm going to teach my son a lesson."

Simba crouched down anxiously beside his best friend.

"At least Lucky isn't angry." Patch smiled nervously.

"Come, Nala," Zazu flew toward the cubs, then looked to the others. "You folks...*sigh*...Good luck..." he then flew off.

Nala glanced back at the others before following Zazu back to her part of the pride.

"SIMBA!" Mufasa sharply called.

"PATCH, THAT INCLUDES YOU!" Lucky sharply included.

"Oh, we're in so much trouble." Patch groaned.

Atticus and Mo shook chills down their spines for the puppy. Dot had never heard Lucky sound like that before, so it caught hr by surprise as well. Cherry was wandering off, looking around.

"CERISE!" Forte yelled out.

Cherry fell in the middle of the ground from that, it made her remember something.

"Cerise, come here..." Forte called to the girl he treated like an apprentice.

"Y-Yes, sir." Cherry said.

The cubs came over to the respective adult lions they were called from. The moment they each stepped on a paw print of each of the adult lions, they looked to their own paw and then continued on.

Mufasa looked down to his son rather crossly. "Simba, I'm very disappointed in you and your friends," he said firmly.

"I know..." Simba said quietly.

"You could've been killed," Mufasa continued. "You all deliberately disobeyed me, and what's worse, you put Nala in danger!"

"I was just trying to be brave like you." Simba told him, trying not to cry.

"I'm only brave when I have to be, and I'm sure these two agree with me." Mufasa said about his fellw adult males.

Forte and Lucky nodded in agreement.

"Listen, being brave doesn't mean you go out and looking for trouble." Lucky said.

"But you guys aren't scared of anything." Patch pointed out.

"We were today," Forte said. "We were worried we might lose you all."

"Oh, so I guess even adults and kings can get scared, huh?" Atticus said.

"Mm-hmm." Mufasa smiled.

"But you know what?" Simba spoke up.

"What?" Mufasa asked, calming down once they got that out of the way.

"I think those hyenas were even scareder." Simba smirked.

"Well, no one messes with us and gets away with it." Patch smirked.

"That's right." Lucky said before playfully tackling the puppy he loved like a surrogate son.

Patch cried out. "No! No! No! Waaaugh!" he then got off his hold and laughed, then chased after Lucky as he ran off.

The angry moment was quickly forgotten as Mufasa played around with Simba while Lucky did the same with Patch.

"Looks like they're having a wonderful time together." Mo smiled.

"I knew it wouldn't last long." Atticus smiled back.

"I hope Nala's not being punished too harshly back home..." Mo wondered what was going on with the lioness cub.

"I'm sure she's not being punished too harshly." Atticus smiled.

"Yeah..." Mo shrugged.

"Cerise, I'm sorry for being harsh with you..." Forte said.

"Whatever..." Cherry sighed.

"I just didn't want to lose you." Forte said.

"Why are you always so obsessed with me?" Cherry asked.

Forte sighed, he just couldn't tell her the truth now, it might make her flip out. "I have my reasons... I'll try to keep it down, okay?"

"Sure..." Cherry rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say..."

"Uh, Atticus..." Darla came to her big brother, remembering something he had done for them, but mostly for her. "Thanks for scratching that hyena back there."

"No problem, Sis, no one messes with my family and gets away with it, especially my little sister." Atticus said before giving her a noogie.

"Ow, hey, cut that out!" Darla cried out, but laughed a little. "That tickles!"

"Why don't you make me?" Atticus asked with a playful smirk.

"I'm gonna get you!" Darla growled.

Atticus ran off then after letting her go into the grass.

Darla growled playfully and chased her big brother. "Get back here, you jerk!" she called, though jokingly as she was laughing. She then tackled on his back and they tackled each other, rolling in the grass, and then laughing together. "Atticus...?"

"Hm?" Atticus smiled up to his little sister on his back now.

"We'll always be together, right?" Darla asked with a smile.

"Right, no matter what, even when we're adults and we go separate ways, we'll always be together because love is like the galaxy, unbreakable." Atticus told her.

"That's beautiful..." Mo's eyes sparkled at what Atticus said.

"Really?" Darla asked her big brother.

"Really. So no matter where you go or I go, we'll always be together." Atticus smiled.

Darla felt touched by that, feeling even closer to him like they were actually blood. It was a great night after the talk they all had and it was sealed happily. As of right now, it felt like nothing could stand in their way or ruin this perfect moment. Nothing at all. But the next day would change everything for Simba.


	9. Chapter 9

_Atticus began to toss and turn as he began to have a nightmare, which unknown to him, was actually a vision of the next day and further on. There was a very freaky atmosphere in Atticus's mind that mixed his nightmare and vision together, so he couldn't tell what was real or not, but he did recognize a few things, such as scenery, but there were blurred voices that sounded like he was underwater, but he was not. But as it came to a canyon, the voices became more clear._

 _"What's going on?" Atticus asked himself as he was looking around._

 _When he looked behind, there was a herd of wildebeests running down and coming right at him in an uncontrollable stampede._

 _"Run for your lives!" Patch's voice screamed._

 _"ATTICA!" Cherry's voice also screamed. "ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!"_

 _Atticus started to run from the stampeding herd and was soon joined with his friends, former puppy, and cousin, and little sister. He couldn't figure out where the wildebeests had come from and why they were running, he just knew this was one intense vision/nightmare. They continued to run until they climbed up a tree for safety. The tree was supportive. Atticus groaned and whimpered slightly, not liking this vision at all. He soon saw a familiar hornbill flying their way._

 _"Zazu! Help us!" Simba cried out._

 _"Your father is on the way, hold on!" the bird replied._

 _"HURRY!" Simba cried._

 _A wildebeest had ran by the tree so hard that it smacked the branch Atticus was on and he was flying through the air about to land in the stampede and get trampled on and where he wanted to wake up. The vision seemed to be building up to something very dangerous and life threatening._

 _"NOOOOOO!" Atticus screamed as he was about to fall to a death in his vision._

* * *

"Atticus!" Mo's voice cried out. "Atticus, wake up!"

Atticus struggled, but his eyes flashed open and he found himself in the Pride Rock cave where he and the others were temporarily staying.

"Atticus, are you all right?" Mo asked him, standing over him as he was lying down. "You looked like you were having a nightmare."

"I'm not even sure if it was a nightmare." Atticus said.

Mo frowned, then got next to him to comfort him. Atticus took a deep breath, trying to get it off his mind for a while.

"Okay, Atticus, what happened?" Mo asked, knowing that if he talked about it, he probably wouldn't feel as bad as he was now.

"Me, you, Patch, Cherry, Dot, Darla, and Simba were in a canyon and where there was a herd of animals stampeding right over to us and where we started to run for our lives." Atticus started.

"What animals?" Mo asked.

"Wildebeests, I'm positive." Atticus said, thinking about it a little.

"Yikes!" Mo flinched. "That sounds really scary!"

"Yeah, and where we then climbed up a tree, thinking we would be safe up on it and then Zazu came and where he told us that Mufasa was on his way." Atticus told her.

"I wonder why he wouldn't be with us..." Mo curved her lip slightly.

"I don't know..." Atticus frowned. "I feel like someone sneaky is up to this..."

Mo hummed, trying to think like him. "Maybe the hyenas want revenge?"

"Oh, please, not even the hyenas would be that stupid to try to get rid of us." Atticus said.

"Hm... Yeah... Maybe..." Mo gave a nod. "Maybe somebody's trying to pull something over."

"But who?" Atticus wondered. "Everybody in the Pridelands seems to like us."

"Maybe not everybody, I'm having a bad feeling about Scar." Patch said after waking up.

"Patch?" Atticus and Mo turned to the former Dalmatian puppy.

"Trust me," Patch siad. "I'm a dog... We have this hidden detection inside of us that tells us who's good or bad."

"So it's like you can tell who is evil and who is not evil." Atticus said.

"Yep, we dogs are an excellent judge of character." Patch smiled.

"Yes, yes you are." Mo nodded.

Cherry yawned and woke up, then looked to her fellow lions. "What's going on, you guys?"

"Let's just say we better keep our eyes open for stampedes." Atticus said.

"Uh... Okay..." Cherry slowly blinked to that.

The sun seemed to had been rising now and waking up the other lions in Pride Rock.

"It's morning..." Cherry frowned.

"I have a feeling this day will be a life changing day." Atticus said.

"Yeah, like being turned into cats wasn't enough..." Patch mumbled.

Simba yawned and came over to his friends. "Oh, good, you guys are awake too."

"I don't think anything could ruin this day." Dot smiled.

Cherry, Atticus, Mo, and Patch gave each other glances while Darla, Dot, and Simba looked excited.

The cubs then wandered around just as Mufasa was talking with Scar. The four who felt Scar was evil, gave him warning glances.

"Uncle Scar, what're you doing here?" Simba asked with a smile.

"Oh, I just wanted to show you and your friends a surprise." Scar smiled.

Simba's eyes lit up. "A surprise?"

"You barely know us, sir." Darla added.

"This is just my way of welcoming you into the family and to our home," Scar insisted. "You just have to come with me."

"Um, by any chance, it wouldn't be in a canyon, would it?" Atticus asked nervously.

"Why yes, yes, it would, it's almost as if you've read my mind." Scar smirked.

"Um, y-yeah, let's go with that, but I-I DON'T THINK GOING TO THE CANYON IS A GOOD IDEA!" Atticus told Scar.

Scar and Mufasa glanced at him.

"Uh, I-I mean..." Atticus said softly.

"Atticus, what's gotten into you?" Mufasa frowned. "Are you feeling well?"

"I-I just think that the canyon is a bad idea, what if we get caught in a stampede of wildebeest?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, come now, the wildebeests are harmless..." Mufasa soothed. "They would never do such a thing."

Scar tilted his head to Atticus, almost like he didn't trust the cub due to that frightening possibility.

"W-Well, I-I guess that wouldn't make sense if a herd of wildebeest were to stampede there." Atticus said, calming down.

"Are you okay?" Mufasa asked Atticus. "Maybe you should stay with Sarabi and the other lionesses."

"No, no, I'm alright, just getting over a terrible nightmare I had." Atticus said.

"Well, some fresh air and atmosphere should do you some good..." Scar suggested.

"Yeah, some fresh air should help." Atticus smiled.

"I best cater to my duties while you're off then," Mufasa said. "It's been quiet lately though, except for... Well... Of course you know..."

Simba looked guilty about that, but he cheered up once he was excited to spend some time with his Uncle Scar.

"Come along now, children..." Scar smiled. "The great outdoors awaits."

"We're coming." Patch said.

Atticus, Mo, and Cherry decided to keep a close eye on Scar because of last night's vision. Darla, Dot, and Simba were very excited however.

* * *

Scar led the cubs into the canyon which made the others very nervous since they knew what was coming, but right now, they didn't know how or why.

"I wish Dad could be here," Simba sighed. "But he's too busy being king of the jungle..."

"Oh, but Simba, don't you know?" Scar looked down. "This was all his idea."

"Wow, really?" Simba asked.

"Oh, yes..." Scar smiled. "I believe it was a surprise for you all."

"He didn't seem like he was hiding a surprise..." Darla narrowed her eyes in suspicion slightly.

"That's just who Mufasa is, my dear," Scar smiled. "Just follow me and I guarantee, this will be a delightful surprise for all of us."

"Well, okay." Dot smiled.

Scar led the cubs into the canyon. Atticus, Mo, Patch, and Cherry looked rather anxious. Cloud shadows scrolled slowly over the landscape.

"Now, all of you wait here," Scar told the cubs. "Simba's father has a marvelous surprise for you all."

"Ooh, what is it?" Dot asked, excited.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Scar smirked.

"If you tell us, we'll still act surprised." Simba smiled back.

Scar chuckled to them. "You are all such naughty cubs!"

"Come on, Uncle Scar..." Simba begged.

"Yeah, come on, Scar." Dot pleaded.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, this is just for you all," Scar smiled. "It's also a welcome for your new friends in the jungle, Simba. Well, I'd better get him."

"We'll go with you." Patch offered.

"Yeah." Simba added.

"NO!" Scar refused, then chuckled. "No... You all stay here by this rock..."

"Aw, come on..." Darla begged. "It's Simba's dad after all..."

"Yeah." Dot nodded.

"Oh, you all wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the hyenas, would you?" Scar asked.

This made the cubs look slightly guilty.

"You know about that?" Simba asked out of shock.

"Children, everybody knows about that." Scar cooed.

"Really?" Dot asked. "Even about how Atticus beat up those hyenas?"

"And you're lucky your daddies were there to take you home..." Scar smiled darkly.

"Gee, thanks for the reminder." Patch groaned.

"I apologize..." Scar replied. "Oh, and Simba, just between us..." he then wrapped his paw around his nephew. "You might want to work on that little roar of yours, hmm?" he then started to pull away.

"Oh... Okay..." Simba replied.

Scar patted Simba roughly on the head and then moved off.

"Mr. Scar?" Dot spoke up. "Will we like the surprise?"

"Children, it's to DIE for..." Scar replied before he continued to go off.

"I don't like of how he said that." Atticus said, nervously.

"It's an expression, right?" Dot asked.

"Normally, yes..." Patch was just as nervous as Atticus was.

"Little roar..." Simba scoffed about what his uncle said, remembering how he tried to roar to scare off those hyenas last night.

"What could we test your roar on?" Darla asked.

"Here comes a lizard." Mo suggested.

"Let's see if we can scare it." Simba said.

"Oh, I don't want to hurt the poor thing." Darla frowned.

"We'll just scare it, we're lions after all," Simba suggested. "I'll go first."

"I have a bad feeling about this in the pit of my stomach." Cherry groaned.

Simba tried to growl at the lizard. It had no reaction on the first attempt.

"Let's try it together." Patch said.

Simba then jumped down and tried again. The other cubs then grouped with Simba and roared together. This startled the lizard and made it skitter away and there was a slight echo from the group roar. Simba smiled to this, but looked to the ground as the pebbles were jumping.

"Oh, no, that sounds like..." Atticus said as his fears were coming true.

There was a herd coming from the canyon of the wildebeests.

"It is!" Patch whimpered, knowing what his owner was thinking.

"Come on, guys!" Simba ran off, fearfully.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mufasa was with Zazu a little while's away.

"Oh, look, Sire," Zazu noticed. "The herd is on the move."

"Odd..." Mufasa commented.

"That is odd." Lucky and Forte added.

Scar ran up, out of breath. "Mufasa... Quick... Stampede in the gorge..." he panted. "The cubs are down there!"

"The cubs." Mufasa gasped.

"Come on, let's go save them." Lucky said.

"You better let me handle this." Mufasa suggested. "I shouldn't let any of you get hurt." he then went off with his brother to get the cubs.

* * *

"Guys, there's a tree!" Mo led the way to a tree to hopefully hold them up as the wildebeests were stampeding on the way.

"Quick, let's get on it!" Dot suggested.

The cubs hoped there would be enough room for all of them. Zazu flew down into the canyon and spotted the gaggle of cubs.

"Zazu, help us!" Simba cried.

"Your father's on the way, hold on!" Zazu replied.

"HURRY!" the cubs yelped.

"No way, this is just like the nightmare/vision I had last night!" Atticus said with widened eyes.

Zazu flew off and pointed for Mufasa. "There, there, on that tree!"

"Hold on, cubs!" Mufasa called out to them.

"We'll try!" Atticus called back.

The wildebeests were zooming in and quick.

"I hope this tree can hold." Darla said.

"I just feel like it's gonna snap!" Dot grunted as she tried to hold herself up.

"I'm having the same feeling!" Atticus told her.

A wildebeest than rammed up against the tree and knocked a few of the cubs loose. Simba screamed as he was one of them. Mufasa then ran out to the herd and joined the stampede to save the poor and innocent children. And where he saved the ones he could catch. Atticus decided to help the others that Mufasa could not help or reach.

"Whew, luckily, it's not ending the same way I saw in my vision." Atticus sighed out of relief.

"Atticus...?" Darla had her eyes shut. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes, it's okay, Darla..." Atticus smiled. "We're all safe now."

Darla opened her eyes to see she was with Simba and her fellow cubs on a rock ledge above the wildebeest swarm.

"Where's Dad?" Simba looked for his father, unable to find him.

"I-I don't know." Mo said.

* * *

The all looked into the swarming herd. Mufasa eventually emerged from the wildebeests and tried to climb up the rock wall. The wall was too steep for him to carry himself up and he was slipping and having trouble keeping himself up.

"Quick, we have to help him." Patch said.

"SCAR!" Mufasa struggled to keep himself up once he saw someone above him to help him. "Br-Brother! Help me!"

Scar looked down and latched his claws onto Mufasa's paws. Mufasa let out a roar of pain from that.

"Long live the king..." Scar said slowly and evilly before letting go of his brother.

Mufasa yelled out as he was now falling back into the stampede and was going to be killed.

" **NO!** " The cubs cried out.

* * *

The herd was reducing and dissolving after Mufasa had been flung into the wildebeest herd. Due to the many stamping feet, the ground was nearly clouded by dust. The cubs bounded to the canyon floor and could not find Mufasa anywhere.

"Mufasa!" Atticus called.

"Dad?" Simba also called. "Dad!"

There was one more wildebeest who ran by them and was catching up with the others. However, when the cubs turned to that one, they could see the lion king had fallen in the middle of the ground and was not moving and did not appear to be breathing.

"Oh, no..." Atticus said.

"Dad?" Simba approached the body, hopeful he was still alive, but he did not appear to be. "Dad... Come on, you gotta get up... We gotta go home..." he then tried to pull and tug at his father's body, but Mufasa did not respond even once.

"Simba, I'm sorry, b-but your father is no longer with us." Atticus frowned.

"What... What do you mean...?" Simba asked as his voice cracked from sadness.

"Simba... Forgive me for being graphic and dark... But your father is in another place now." Cherry said.

"He's now with the rest of the kings of the past." Patch said, putting it more simply.

"No..." Simba realized what his friends were saying now, he then ran off in the distance. "HEEEEELP! Somebody!"

His voice echoed as it seemed as though they were the only ones there.

"Anybody!" Simba still tried to call, but sniffled. "Help..."

"We're so sorry, Simba." Dot comforted.

Simba was in deep grief, sadness, and anxiety. He wasn't sure what else to do but to go to his father, put his paw around him and cried as he buried his face in the ground. The others hung their heads. The girls except for Cherry cried while the boys and Cherry had grim expressions on their face like they were at a funeral.

"How could this have happened?" Patch asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Atticus said softly.

Scar advanced through the dust and looked down at all of them. "Simba... What have you and your friends done?"

'When did he get back?' Patch thought to himself.

Simba could only sadly look to his uncle and he tried to explain what had happeend. "There were wildebeests and he tried to save us... It was an accident, I... I didn't mean for it to happen."

"None of us did." Dot frowned.

"Of course... Of course you didn't..." Scar embraced Simba since he was family. "No one ever means for these things to happen... but the king iS dead... And if it weren't for you all, he would've still been alive..."

The cubs looked extremely guilty, had their roar caused for this stampede to happen?

"Oh! What will Simba's mother and those other lions think?" Scar added then.

Simba sniffled. "What are we going to do?"

"Run away, all of you..." Scar suggested. "Run away and never return!"

The others weren't even sure what else to do but that, so they ran off blindly.

Scar emotionlessly stared down at the cubs as they went off. "Kill them." he told the three hyenas who were by his side for some reason.

"Scar, do we gotta?" Banzai asked. "That Atticus cub could turn us into fur coats!"

"I said 'kill them'!" Scar glared at the hyenas.

* * *

The three hyenas looked to Scar, then chased after the cubs. Simba saw the three hyenas coming back.

"Aw, come on!" Darla groaned, sadly and annoyed.

"Now what?" Dot asked.

"Just run!" Simba cried.

The cubs were ended up by briers, they then saw they had no chocie, but to tumble down by them, but luckily, they weren't hurt by the stabbing thorns, but the same couldn't be said for one of the hyenas. The cubs ran off. The hyenas were now coming down and Banzai was the first to see the thorns.

"Whoa!" Banzai slowed himself down and breathed in relief as he was just above the thorns.

Unfortunately, Shenzi and Ed smacked behind him which made him fall into the thorns. And where he jumped out yelling out in pain, causing for Shenzi and Ed to laugh out loud about his unfortunate predicament.

The female hyena then saw the cubs emerging from the thorns and running away to never return to Pride Rock. "Hey, there they go!" she called to her fellow hyenas. "There they go!"

Banzai struggled, trying to remove the thorns. "So go get 'em!"

"There ain't no way I'm goin' in there," Shenzi teased. "What, you want me come out there looking like you, Cactus Butt?"

Banzai glared at Ed as he saw the idiot hyena looking at him, taking out the thorns off his butt. Ed let out a small yelp of pain.

"We gotta finish the job." Banzai said.

"Well, they're as good as dead out there anyway," Shenzi compromised. "And IF they come back, we'll kill them."

"YEAH! YOU HEAR THAT?! **IF ANY OF YOU EVER COME BACK, WE'LL KILL YA!** " Banzai yelled out.

The hyenas laughed and made their way back to the Pride Lands.


	10. Chapter 10

It was now after dark, Scar had the lionesses gathered and was informing of them of what had happened back at the canyon. And where he had included a lie into what really happened there.

"Mufasa's death was a terrible tragedy; but to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live and to go with his new friends who we all treated like family..." Scar mourned.

The lionesses and Zazu were comforting Sarabi since this was her mate and son that Scar was talking about. Sarabi bowed her head in extreme pain. Nala rubbed against her mother as she also cried. This was truly a heart aching day for all of them.

Lucky was very mvoed by the loss of Patch, they may not had been biologically father and son, but from the day they first met, they viewed each other as family. Forte put his paw to his face, he cried for the first time in what was like an eternity for him. He couldn't save Cherry and he promised not to let anything bad happen to her. With Mufasa gone now, there was only one blood line that was at Pride Rock who could accept the throne.

"For me it is a deep personal loss," Scar then continued his eulogy. "So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne. Yet, out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era... In which lion and hyena come together, in a great, glorious future!"

"This guy is crazy." Forte whispered.

Rafiki went to his tree and was smearing against the cub painting he had made after Simba was born.

* * *

While that was going on, the cubs were now on the ground, exhausted in the middle of nowhere with the sun's heat, beating down on them. They had been walking for a while now and passed out.

There were buzzards circling and about to fly down to pick at their remains, thinking the cubs were dead. But they were then frightened as a meerkat and a warthog came running in with their own battle cry. They slapped and kicked the buzzards away.

"Get out!" the meerkat told the birds. "Get out! Get outta here!"

"I love it!" the warthog smiled. "Bowling for Buzzards!"

"Gets them every time!" The meerkat laughed.

"Uh-Oh..." the warthog observed the cubs and saw they were weakly and shallowly breathing. "Hey, Timon, you better come look! I think they're still alive!"

The meerkat, Timon, flinched in disgust, then walked over and observed the cubs and once he realized what they were, he panicked. "Jeez, they're a bunch of lions!" he then huddled up on top of his friend and pulled his ears like they were controls. "Run, Pumbaa, move it!"

"Hey, Timon, they're just a bunch of little lions," The warthog known as Pumbaa cooed. "Look at them... They're so cute and all alone~... Can we keep them?"

"Pumbaa, are you nuts!?" Timon nearly yelled in his ear.

Atticus and Patch coughed slightly and were able to wake up.

"Where are we?" Patch asked.

"They're waking up!" Timon panicked. "Now they're gonna eat us! Lions eat guys like us!"

"Calm down, we're not going to eat you." Atticus assured.

"Are you on our side?" Pumbaa then asked.

"We're not evil lions." Patch said.

"Hey, they're on our side," Timon smiled rather sneakily. You know, having a bunch of lions around might not be such a bad idea."

"So, we keepin' 'em?" Pumbaa asked.

"Of course, who's the brains of this outfit?" Timon smirked.

"My guess would be either way." Patch said.

"My point exactly," Timon nodded as Pumbaa carried Simba. "Jeez, I'm fried... Let's get out of here and find some shade."

Patch and Atticus then picked up the others on their backs, putting their strength into good use.

"Is there a spot of shade close by?" Atticus asked.

"Just follow us, friends." Pumbaa smiled as he walked one way.

"There's also a pool of water." Timon added.

"Oh, thank goodness." Atticus sighed out of relief.

"We've been around here and we're a couple of misfits, but we have each other." Timon smiled.

"Where did you come from?" Patch asked the meerkat.

Timon sighed. "I didn't belong back home... Nobody really liked me except for my ma."

"Wow, sounds rough." Atticus said.

"It really was..." Timon frowned. "Plus it was boring in that colony! All we do is dig so we can hide and then we hide so we can dig!"

"Isn't that what you meerkats do?" Atticus asked.

"Yes, but I got sick of it," Timon sighed. "So I decided to leave home and then a monkey told me to look beyond what I saw."

"What does that mean?" Patch asked.

"I'm not exactly sure..." Timon said, then they found a shady spot with the water he talked about. "Here, Pumbaa."

Pumbaa nodded and gently placed Simba down.

"Sheesh, you lions are stronger than I thought." Timon smirked at Atticus and Patch.

"Uh, thanks, we exercise a lot, oh, and also me and my friends except for Simba aren't really lions." Atticus said.

"Then what are you...?" Pumbaa was confused.

Timon laughed. "Pumbaa, he's kidding! It's a joke!"

"No, I'm not, I'm actually a human and Patch is a Dalmatian puppy and the rest of our friends, including my little sister and cousin are humans." Atticus said.

Timon then laughed again and fell on the ground. "Oh, man, this guy is GOOD!"

"Timon, he looks serious..." Pumbaa said to his best friend.

"That's because I am serious!" Atticus glared.

"Well, I don't know anything about humans or Dalmatian puppies, but good luck with that... "Timon shrugged, then splashed water against the other cubs. "If you are what you say you are, then why are you lions?"

"We don't know, maybe it was magic." Patch said.

"I rest my case." Timon said as he continued to splash the water from the oasis.

Eventually, the other lion cubs coughed and woke up from the water splashes.

"You okay, kids?" Timon asked.

"I guess so..." Simba said weakly.

"You all nearly died." Pumbaa said.

"Dang it..." Cherry sounded disappointed that she did not die.

"I saved you." Timon smiled boastfully.

Pumbaa then snorted to the meerkat.

"You saved them?" Patch asked out of disbelief.

"Well, uh, these guys helped, a little..." Timon then shrugged, referring to Atticus and Patch.

"Thanks for your help..." Dot dully replied.

Simba headed quietly back to the desert.

"Hey, where are you going?" Timon asked.

"Nowhere..." Mo sighed.

"Gee, they look blue." Timon commented.

"I'd say brownish-gold in some of them." Pumbaa replied.

"No, no, I mean they're depressed." Timon explained.

"Oh." Pumbaa frowned.

"Where do we go now?" Dot asked.

"I don't know, just anywhere but here..." Simba sighed.

Pumbaa trotted up to the cubs. "Kids, what's eatin' ya?"

"Nuthin', they're on top of the food chain," Timon attempted to joke and then laughed out loud. "The food chain!" But he then saw that none of them were joining in laughing or finding that joke funny and decided to stop, finding it now awkward. "So... Where are all of you from?"

"Who cares?" Simba was obviously more devastated than the others. "We can't go back."

"Yeah." Darla frowned.

"Ah, so you're an outcast," Timon smiled. "That's great, so are we!"

"Whatcha do, kids?" Pumbaa asked.

"Something terrible, but we don't wanna talk about it." Mo pouted.

"Good, we don't wanna hear it." Timon shrugged.

"Come on, Timon," Pumbaa scolded his best friend before turning back to the cubs. "Anything we can do?"

"Not unless you can change the past." Simba continued to sulk.

"You know, kid, in times like this my buddy Timon here says, 'You got to put your behind in your past'." Pumbaa advised.

"No, no, no," Timon waved his arms. "Amateur, lie down before you hurt yourself. It's 'you gotta put your past behind ya'. Look, guys, bad things happen, and you can't do anything about it, right?"

"Right." Simba said.

"Wrong!" Timon said then. "When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world."

"Well, that's not what I was taught." Simba replied.

"Then maybe you need a new lesson, repeat after me," Timon said before clearing his throat. "Hakuna Matata."

"What?" Simba asked, confused.

"Ha-Ku-Na-Ma-Ta-Ta," Pumbaa enunciated.

"Oh, my parents told me about that," Atticus jumped in. "It means 'no worries'."

"Exactly." Pumbaa smiled.

"This is going into a song, isn't it?" Patch asked.

"Would you like a song?" Timon asked back.

"A song might help." Patch shrugged.

"Hakuna Matata," Timon started. "What a wonderful phrase."

"Hakuna Matata!" Pumbaa added. "Ain't no passing craze!"

Atticus and the rest of the cubs smiled, liking this song already.

"It means no worries," Timon continued. "For the rest of your days!"

"It's our problem free," Timon and Pumbaa sang together then. "Philosophy!"

"Hakuna Matata..." Timon said as he helped them into their part of the jungle.

"Hakuna Matata?" Simba asked.

"Yeah, it's our motto." Pumbaa smiled.

"What's a motto?" Dot, Darla, Patch, and Simba asked.

"Nuthin', what's a motto with you?" Timon then joked again and laughed.

Dot and Darla started to laugh with Timon and Pumbaa.

"You know, kids, these two words will solve all your problems." Pumbaa said.

"Yeah, how so?" Cherry asked.

"Well, take Pumbaa for example," Timon replied. "Why, when he was a young warthog..."

"When I was a young warthoooooog!" Pumbaa repeated in an operatic like voice.

"Very nice..." Timon cleaned his ear.'

"Thanks!" Pumbaa grinned.

"This should be interesting." Atticus said.

"He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal," Timon told the cubs. "He could clear the Savanna after every meal."

"I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick-skinned," Pumbaa sadly continued as he remembered what his life was like before he had met Timon. "And it hurt that my friends never stood downwind... And oh, the shame!"

"He was ashamed!" Timon added.

"And once thought of changing my name!" Pumbaa continued.

"Oh, what's in a name?" Timon added dramatically.

"And I got downhearted!" Pumbaa went on.

"How'd ya feel?" Timon added.

"Every time that I-" Pumbaa was about to say.

"Whoa, Pumbaa!" Timon covered his mouth nervously. "Not in front of the kids."

"Oh, sorry..." Pumbaa smiled nervously.

This confused the lion cubs, wondering why that was embarrassing.

"Hakuna Matata!" Timon and Pumbaa went back to their song as Pumbaa was hosited by a vine loop for him to swing. "What a wonderful phrase! Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze!"

 _'Time to join in.'_ Patch thought to himself.

"It means no worries, for the rest of your days." The cubs sang joining in.

"Yeah, sing it, kids!" Timon praised.

"It's our problem free..." Timon and the cubs then sang.

Pumbaa fell flato n the ground next to them. "Philosophy!"

"Hakuna Matata." they all sang together.

"That was so much fun!" Dot cheered.

"It's about to get even better," Timon said as he pulled back a fern leaf to reveal a beautiful view of the rift-jungle with waterfalls and a rugged terrain. "Welcome to our humble home."

"You guys live here?" Darla asked.

"We live wherever we want." Timon smiled.

"Yep, home is where your rump rests." Pumbaa added.

"It's beautiful." Mo smiled, admiring the scenery.

Timon and Pumbaa walked them in.

* * *

Pumbaa let out a noisy belch without even excusing himself. "I'm starved!"

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole zebra." Cherry said, remembering when she killed a zebra for the first time and found it very desirable.

"Same here." The rest of the cubs nodded.

"Eh," Timon looked a little nervous. "We're fresh out of zebra."

"Any antelope?" Simba asked.

"Nuh-uh." Timon declined.

"Hippo?" Dot asked.

"Nope." Timon said.

"Then what are we suppose to eat?" Patch asked.

"Listen, kids," Timon continued. "If you live with us, you have to eat like us," he then stopped in front of a log. "Hey, this looks like a good spot to rustle up some grub."

Pumbaa forced the log up with his snout to reveal many insects.

"Ew, what's that?" Simba asked.

"A grub." Timon smiled as he picked one up in his paws.

"That's a bug." Darla said.

"Gross..." Simba cringed.

Timon slurped the grub and licked his paw tips. "Tastes like chicken."

"How does it taste like chicken?" Patch asked.

"You try it." Timon invited.

"I don't know." Patch said.

Pumbaa slurped up a worm like a pasta noodle. "Slimy, yet satisfying!"

"Gross." Darla groaned.

Timon and Pumbaa kept eating their bugs.

"Now, guys, it's good to try now foods, what could happen?" Cherry asked before she picked up a grub off of a leaf. "Hakuna Matata..." she then put the grub in her mouth and slowly chewed, but actually seemed to like it.

"SHE ATE IT!" Dot shrieked.

"So how does it taste?" Atticus asked.

"Not bad..." Cherry smiled. "A little crunchy, but not bad."

The others looked to the bugs.

"Well, kids?" Timon held out a leaf like a waiter's plate with bugs crawling around.

"Aw, well, might as well try one." Atticus shrugged.

The other cubs then tried the bugs. Darla was the most nervous, she had been eating candy and sweets most of her life until she was adopted into Atticus's family, but she did join in.

"Time to see what these taste like." Atticus said.

Cherry ate another bug after her first one. With that, Patch, Darla, Atticus, Mo, Dot, and Simba tried their own bugs, once they found them, they ate them and swallowed them.

"Slimy.. Yet satisfying..." Simba actually smiled.

"It.. Tastes like chicken..." The rest of the cubs smiled.

"That's it!" Timon praised them.

"I think I might like this." Darla smiled.

"This is our home now... I guess..." Dot had a small smile.

* * *

Within the time, Simba and the others have adapted into Timon and Pumbaa's lifestyle. However, Simba had become slightly rascally over the time passing. While Atticus seemed to mature over the time passing.

"Young lion, come down from there!" Timon called one day.

Simba was jumping in the trees and laughed as he looked down to the others. "Man, you guys look like ants down there!"

"I'm counting to three!" Timon threatened.

"Whoo-hoo!" Simba jumped around, but broke a branch and was about to fall down.

"Uh-oh..." Pumbaa mumbled.

"Oh, no, what do we do?!" Darla asked while panicking.

"One... Two..." Timon counted.

Simba and Pumbaa then landed on top of the poor meerkat.

"Three..." Timon finished before passing out.

"Simba! You could have gotten hurt!" Atticus scolded.

"Sorry..." Simba said before laughing like a wisecrack.

"Simba, you say sorry to Timon!" Mo gave a sharp look.

"Okay, okay..." Simba rolled his eyes, then looked to the fallen meerkat. "Sorry, Timon."

"It's okay." Timon said all dizzy.

Pumbaa got up from him.

"What's gotten into you, Simba?" Cherry looked at the former lion prince.

"Aw, relax, it was just a harmless joke." Simba smirked.

"I think he's taken the 'put your past behind you' too far." Patch said.

"He'll mature..." Mo sighed. "I just know I'm a little nervous about when Junior back home hits puberty... That is... If we ever go back home..."


	11. Chapter 11

One night, Simba kept waking up Timon. First it was a bathroom break, then a drink of water, then another bathroom break, and then finally, a bad dream. The other cubs had a lucky guess about what the bad dream was about, but they weren't going to bring it up for Simba's sake. Timon then offered for Simba to sleep with him and Pumbaa while the other cubs had their own leaf beds made up. Cherry seemed to run in her sleep.

* * *

Cherry was in her peaceful meadow in her dream, though back in her human form, and she seemed to be meditating.

"Cerise." A familiar court composer's voice said.

Cherry opened one eye and saw the many century aged man. "Maestro?"

"Bonjour, Cerise." Forte smiled.

Cherry then realized that she had left him behind at Pride Rock. "Oh, my gosh... What's happening back in Pride Rock?"

"It's not a pretty sight, Cerise..." Forte shook his head. "I know you aren't dead... I know you all aren't... Nobody will listen to me though... Scar's followers are not pleasant..."

"Scar... He killed Mufasa, didn't he?" Cherry asked, narrowing her eyes. "Oh, I knew I felt something funny with that man!...Erm... Lion!"

"And you and Atticus and Patch were right tonne suspicious about him." Forte said.

"He gave me cold chills..." Cherry said. "Kinda like when I first met you... Oh, no offense..."

"None taken, I kind of deserved that." Forte said.

"So you knew too?" Cherry asked.

"Of course I did..." Forte gave a nod. "Usually you can tell a lot about a person by looking into their eyes."

"I've heard about that." Cherry agreed.

"You've heard right, oh, and I should mention, Lucky will be speaking with Patch in his dream too." Forte said.

"Lucky can do that?" Cherry tilted her head in doubt.

"Yeah, anyone can." Forte smiled.

"Could I do it to you?" Cherry asked.

"First of all, I don't sleep, and yes, you could try it against anyone else." Forte nodded.

"Could I do it to someone who's more powerful than me and I can scare them senseless?" Cherry then smirked darkly.

"Good luck with trying to scare Drell." Forte said.

Cherry narrowed her eyes. "How'd you know I wanted to scare him?"

"I found out how he's been treating you." Forte said.

"Make him stop!" Cherry begged.

"I can't..." Forte patted her on theh ead. "He did promise me though once you establish your author career, he'll throw you a bone, if you will."

Cherry folded her arms. "I hate that man with a burning passion, I hope he suffers from a great demise!"

"That's a bit dark." Forte said.

"Says you..." Cherry glanced at him. "Man, you got soft ever since you left Belle and the Beast."

"I can still hypnotize you." Forte threatened.

"I hate you..." Cherry lowly hissed.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile in Patch's dream...**_

Patch was in what looked like a dog paradise. There were fire hydrants around with flying bones. He smiled as he walked into this world. "This is the best dream ever!" he smiled at the sights.

"It sure looks like it." The former border collie's voice said.

Patch looked around, then smiled once he finally found him. "Lucky!" he smiled as his tail wagged and he hopped up in the air.

"Hey, little buddy," Lucky smiled. "I just knew you were alive."

"What do you mean?" Patch frowned.

"Scar told us that you all were killed with Mufasa." Lucky explained.

"What?" Patch looked betrayed. "Why would he say that?"

"Possibly so then he would have everyone think he would be trustworthy for a short time before he would take the throne." Lucky told him.

"I could sense something wrong with him..." Patch looked angered. "But... He told you that we died with Mufasa?"

"Yes, he did, I didn't want to believe it, but I just knew it had to be untrue," Lucky smiled down to him. "I really miss ya."

"I miss you too, Dad." Patch said.

Lucky put his arm around Patch and hugged him. "Good boy."

"Simba is a handful." Patch groaned.

"Might be a coping mechanism..." Lucky suggested. "He's lost his father and his home all in one evening."

"Yeah, that must be it." Patch said.

Lucky gently comforted Patch.

Cookie came from nowhere. "You okay, baby?"

"Oh, hi, Cookie." Patch smiled to the female boxer. Her arrival was a surprise to both Lucky and Patch.

"W-What're you doing here?" Lucky asked.

"I thought Patch could use a little comfort and support that only a mother could give." Cookie smiled warmly.

"Wow, thanks, Cookie." Patch smiled back.

"Of course, sugah." Cookie nuzzled her face against his briefly.

This was a moment that none of them would ever forget. Cookie and Lucky may not had been Patch's biological parents, but ever since Atticus had adopted him, they felt like they were family, especially after he ran away from home after a tragic first day at Puppy School.

"I never wanna wake up from this." Patch said to himself.

"You'll have to eventually, but let's make it last while we can..." Lucky whispered.

Lucky smiled to his 'family'.

* * *

Mo was sleeping soundly, but was having a meaningful dream like the others. She found herself in her bedroom at her true and real home and was surrounded by the puppies who all admired her. "Am I back home?" she smiled with wondering thought.

"Mo, somebody wants to see you..." Angel said. "Someone you have not seen in many years."

Mo nodded to them and climbed down the stairs and looked to the couch.

Instead of seeing her adoptive parents, Mo saw a blonde woman and a black-haired male. The woman had green eyes and the man had brown eyes.

Mo couldn't believe who she just saw. "Mom! Dad!"

"Mo." Her parents smiled.

Mo sniffled and hugged her long-lost parents who died in an accident when she was very young. "Man, I don't know where to start... I just... Wow... I can't believe I'm actually seeing you two..."

"We're glad to see you too." Her mother smiled.

Mo wiped her one eye with a tearful smile.

"You and your friends must return to Pride Rock." her father said.

"What?" Mo was surprised. "You know about that?"

"Yes because we see everything in Heaven." Her mother said.

"Oh, don't say that..." Mo turned emotional.

"It's okay, dear..." her father stroked her brunette hair. "You've led a nice life... We miss you very much and we're very proud that you had been taking care of yourself and your own doggy."

"And you have your own boyfriend." her mother added with a smile.

"Quite..." her father then sharply nodded.

"He's really nice and kind and caring and strong." Mo smiled.

"I'm sure he is..." Mo's father replied roughly.

"Forgive your father, you know how they get..." Mo's mother apologized.

"It's okay, kinda saw that coming..." Mo lightly laughed.

"It's how us fathers behave." Her father said.

"Guess someday Atticus will do that for our kids if we have any..." Mo shrugged.

"Monique, you must know this... " Mo's mother brought up the point. "Scar lied to the others in Pride Rock... He only said that to claim the throne after Mufasa's death."

"So he is evil." Mo glared.

Mo's biological parents slowly nodded to their daughter.

"I can't wait for him to get what he deserves." Mo said out of anger.

"He will, dear..." Mo's father soothed. "You know what they say; 'From the great beyond, the wicked will get their just rewards'."

"I think I've heard that somewhere before." Mo said.

"My mother taught it to me when I was about your age." Mo's father soothed.

"Cool." Mo smiled.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile in Atticus's dream..._**

Atticus looked all around in the darkness, but then saw a door and he opened it up. "Hello? Anyone here?" he called as he was alone right now. "Man... Boring dream... Hopefully I wake up soon..."

He then saw a door with a glowing light behind it.

"Hey..." Atticus's eyes were drawn to this door and he ran to it and opened it as the light cast over him and took him into a brand new room and where it showed him different futures.

"What's going on...?" Atticus tilted his head. He saw a file on the Pride Lands glowing with two possible futures.

"Hello, my boy..." a voice greeted.

Atticus looked around, then saw a familiar stallion. "Dr. Whooves?"

"That's what they call me." Dr. Whooves nodded to him.

"Where am I?" Atticus asked.

"Behind both these doors are your and your friends' fates," Dr. Whooves told him. "You must choose wisely."

"Oh, come on! Why can't it ever be easy?" Atticus asked.

"I'm afraid in life there are no free rides." Dr. Whooves empathized.

"How do I choose?" Atticus asked.

"Have you heard of stop listening to someone else's orders and start following your heart?" Dr. Whooves suggested.

Atticus thought back, remembering those words. "Cinderella told Anastasia that when we met that baker."

"I think you should put her words of wisdom into good use." Dr. Whooves smiled.

"Okay, okay." Atticus sighed before he closed his eyes and let his heart decide on which door to choose.

Dr. Whooves stepped back and came behind Atticus. Atticus began to walk over to one of the doors while his eyes were closed letting his heart decide on the door he would choose. His hand held the doorknob and the door semeed to glow once he tried to open the door. He then opened his eyes to see what was behind the door. The glow cast over him and he was in a new place, but he was hidden away.

* * *

He looked around Pride Rock, the sky looked red as there appeared to be a fire. "No, this can't be!" he cried as this looked like an incredibly horrible fate.

He saw Simba as a full grown lion along with himself and the others as older lions as well and where Simba was now fighting scar to claim the throne and to put the evil lion's reign of terror to an end.

"Wait... What...?" Atticus asked himself.

Simba and Atticus were fighting against Scar and flung him off from Pride Rock. Everything was now brought back to the way it was except Simba was now king and where he had a mate with him to rule by his side. Atticus smiled as the rain drizzled and killed the fire. Simba then smiled as he let out a victory roar. The lionesses down below let out another roar in return.

"This is the future." Dr. Whooves told him.

"So I picked the right door?" Atticus asked.

"Yes, indeed you have..." Dr. Whooves smiled, now standing next to Derpy. "I told you to trust and follow your heart. It will never betray you."

"Yeah, the heart never lets you down." Derpy smiled.

"What do I have to do to make this future come true?" Atticus asked, hopeful.

"Simba must face his uncle in the future when he's a full grown lion." Dr. Whooves told him.

"What else?" Atticus asked.

"You'll find out..." Derpy giggled. "But you must help convince him to go back home and confront his past."

"Yeah, that might be hard." Atticus said.

"We'll send for someone to help once they find out you are all alive." Dr. Whooves said.

"Who?" Atticus asked.

"We don't wanna spoil the surprise." Derpy giggled, then took out a random dessert she fancied. "Muffin!?"

"Sure." Atticus shrugged.

Derpy handed him the muffin and giggled in excitement. Atticus took a bite out of it and where it tasted delicious.

"I made it myself." Derpy smiled.

"You have a true talent." Atticus smiled.

Derpy grinned to that. The night was an interesting one for everybody.


	12. Chapter 12

Unfortunately, while Simba and the other cubs were having fun and forgetting about their worries, the same could not be said back at Pride Rock. Things kept on getting worse and worse for the trees and hunting became more and more scarce.

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen..." Zazu lazily sang as he was trapped in a cage made out of an animal's rib cage. "Nobody knows... My sorrow..."

"Oh, Zazu, do lighten up," Scar tossed a bone to the blue hornbill. "Sing something with a little bounce to it."

Zazu smirked. "It's a small world after all~..."

"NO!" Scar declined. "No! Anything but that!"

A dark lioness with a torn ear and crimson eyes poked her head inside the cave and smiled once she saw Scar. "Zazu, why don't you sing something that doesn't make our king angry or annoyed?" she then decided to ask.

Zazu paused to think a moment, then sang another song. "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts diddely-dee-dee~ They are standing in a row..."

Scar enjoyed it and started to sing along with him.

"Oh, I never would have to do this for Mufasa..." Zazu muttered under his breath.

"What?! What did you say?" Scar and the dark lioness asked out of anger.

"Oh, nothing!" Zazu smield nervously.

"You know the law," the lioness reminded him. "Never EVER mention that name in Scar's presence!"

"I am the KING!" Scar added, shoving his muzzle near the cage, frightening the poor bird.

"Yes, sire... You are the King..." Zazu agreed. "My apologies to Lady Zira as well." he then bowed to the dark lioness who was Scar's most trusted follower.

"Better be careful of what you say next time!" Zira growled.

"W-Well, I only mentioned to illustrate the difference in Scar's royal managarial approaches..." Zazu covered up nervously.

"Hey, Boss!" Banzai's voice called.

"Oh, what is it this time?" Scar groaned.

"We got a bone to pick with you." Banzai snarled.

"Choose your words wisely." Zira growled.

"I'll handle this," Shenzi told her fellow hyenas before going to the new lion king. "Scar, there's no food or no water..."

"Yeah, it's dinner time, and we got no stinkin' entrees!" Banzai added out of grumpy hunger.

"It's the lionesses' job to go hunting..." Scar replied.

"I told them to!" Zira glared. "Why aren't they doing what I told them!?"

"They won't go hunt." Banzai replied.

"Oh, then eat Zazu..." Scar told the hyenas.

The hyenas pursued after the rather unfortunate hornbill.

"Oh, you wouldn't want me..." Zazu grew nervous. "I'd be so tough and gamey!"

"I think they'll live." Zira growled.

"Oh, Zazu, don't be ridiculous," Scar added. "All you need is a little garnish."

"I think I liked things better with Mufasa." Banzai whispered.

"What did you say?" Scar overheard that.

"I said-" Banzai was about to say until the female hyena shoved him to not repeat exactly what he said. "Uh... Que pasa?"

"Good, now get out." Scar sharply told the hyenas.

The three were then wandering out.

Banzai looked back. "Mm, yeah, but we're still hungry..."

"OUT!" Scar and Zira shouted.

This caused for the three hyenas to run out of the den for their lives.

"Why do you trust them?" Zira sneered.

"I ask myself that question everyday..." Scar said before hearing a howl of pain. "Is that the cub?"

"No, it sounds like Tama." Zira assumed.

The two went out and saw a lioness who was a childhood friend of both Simba and Nala, she had dark patched spots under her deep sapphire eyes. She was on her own, but she had given birth to a female cub.

* * *

Scar and Zira came to see Tama.

"Why aren't you watching _our_ cub?" Zira scowled at the lioness, then realized she had given birth. "Oh, my..."

"I'm sorry, I kind of got distracted." Tama said, showing her own cub.

"So I see..." Zira said, looking to the cub.

The cub looked a lot like her mother, only she had brown eyes instead of blue.

"What's it's name?" Scar asked.

"I haven't had time to think about that..." Tama said.

"We'll take her off your paws." Scar put his paw around the lioness cub.

"Okay..." Tama tried to relax herself. "I'll see you later, honey..."

"No, Tama, your cub is ours now..." Zira said. "This topic isn't open for discussion... She will be trained to be a follower of Scar and nothing more... She is not your daughter anymore, I've always wanted a daughter."

"What?" Tama grew heartbroken.

"You heard us." Scar told her.

"No... Please..." Tama whimpered.

Scar and Zira ignored her and took her cub right from her possession.

"No..." Tama shook her head as tears leaked down her furry face. "You just can't..." she tried to go after them, but was still in pain from labor and then started to break down and cry.

"They can't do that." an older Lucky growled.

"Oh, Tama..." Forte, who did not look any different from aging, came to the aching lioness. "Are you all right?"

Tama shook her head and sniffled as she started to cry.

"He's gone too far this time..." an older lioness who was Nala all grown up commented. "I need to get out of here..."

"Same here." Lucky said.

"Where will you go?" Forte asked.

"Anywhere but here..." Nala frowned. "Tama, I am so sorry..."

"It's okay, it's my fault for bringing a cub into this world..." Tama sniffled. "Who knows? Maybe after Scar and Zira are gone, my cub will be the new queen of the jungle and we can all live in peace again... Before we all starve to death..."

"Yeah... Maybe." Forte said.

Tama was still rather miserable.

* * *

Scar and Zira put the newborn cub between them.

"Mother...?" a weak voice called. "Oh, Mother!"

Zira rolled her eyes once she recognized the voice, then turned to a cub who looked a lot like Scar, but had Zira's red eyes. "What is it, Nuka?"

"I just caught my first kill!" Nuka smiled.

Scar and Zira glanced to each other, then back at the rather mangy cub.

"Is that so?" Zira asked.

"Where is it then?" Scar added.

Nuka ran back out the den brought in his kill. Scar and Zira looked down after the cub dropped it to reveal a field mouse.

"Impressive... It's a little small though and not enough to feed the lands..." Scar commented.

Nuka's ears drooped suddenly. "Yeah, but... It's my first kill..."

"True and I guess that's all that matters." Zira said.

Nuka smiled to his mother then.

"I suppose so..." Scar said. "Nuka... Meet your new baby sister."

"Baby sister...?" Nuka tilted his head.

Scar then showed the cub that he and Zira had 'adopted'.

"When did you and Mother have a baby, Father?" Nuka asked.

"She was adopted." Scar explained.

"'Adopted'?" Nuka asked.

"She is our cub now and your sister," Zira added in. "We'll call her... Vitani... It means 'I am war'."

"Fitting name." Scar smiled evilly.

Zira smiled evilly back and looked down to the cub. The cub, was of course, unaware of all going around her, but she assumed these two were her parents, so she flashed a brief smile to them.

"No one can stop us now." Zira said evilly.

"No one!" Scar laughed menachically which sounded rather insane than dark and sinsister as it used to be.

* * *

 _ **While that was all going on, back with Simba and the others...**_

It was a starry night and there was a very loud and aggressive burp heard.

"Whoa..." Timon said to the crimson maned now adult lion with him and his warthog best friend. "Nice on, Simba."

"Thanks," Simba smiled, then patted his belly. "Man, I'm stuffed!"

"Me too," Pumbaa smiled. "I ate like a pig!"

"Um, Pumbaa, you are a pig." Patch, now a full grown white lion with a black mane, said.

"Oh... Right..." Pumbaa smiled bashfully.

Dot giggled to that, she was a young adult lioness. Darla, Cherry, and Mo were the same. Atticus was an full grown lion with a dark brown mane.

Pumbaa studied the sky a little. "Timon?"

"Yeah?" Timon lazily replied.

"Ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?" Pumbaa asked.

'I wanna tell him what those are.' Dot thought to herself.

"Pumbaa, I don't wonder; I know." Timon replied.

"Oh... What are they?" Pumbaa then asked.

"They're fireflies," Timon seemed to make up as he went along in order to impress Pumbaa with his 'vast intelligence and knowledge of the mysteries of the world'. "Fireflies that uh... Got stuck up on that big... bluish-black... thing."

"Timon, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of." Atticus said.

"I always thought that they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away." Pumbaa input.

"Pumbaa, to you, everything's gas." Patch groaned.

Timon and Pumbaa's discussion made Simba think of something he remembered strongly as a cub.

"Hey, Simba, what do you think?" Pumbaa asked.

"Well... I..." Simba stammered.

Timon and Pumbaa then encouraged him to speak up, very curious about what he had to say.

"You can tell us, Simba." Dot said.

"Well, somebody once told me that the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us." Simba replied.

"Really?" Pumbaa asked in awe.

"You mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watching us?" Timon asked before cracking up laughing.

Pumbaa began to join in the laugh. Simba laughed too, rather weakly and half-heartedly.

"Who told you something like that?" Timon asked between laughs. "What mook made that up!?"

"Yeah... Pretty dumb, huh?" Simba forced a smile, but was hurt deep down inside.

"Guys, stop, that's enough!" Atticus scolded Timon and Pumbaa.

"What?" Timon asked. "Was it something I said?"

Simba felt deeply in pain and then wandered off.

"I better go find out what's wrong with him." Atticus said.

Patch came to Atticus's side. "Want some help?"

"I'll handle this one by myself this time, Patch." Atticus said.

"Okay... You know where to find me." Patch allowed him to fly solo.

Atticus nodded before going over to Simba to talk to him to find out what was wrong. Patch went the other way.


	13. Chapter 13

Simba walked out on a ledge as he looked at the stars, looking very hurt and emotional. He then sighed and collapsed onto the ledge which made milkweed floss stir into the air and travel along the winds.

"Simba?" Atticus asked. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Simba didn't realize someone else was there. "Oh, um, nothing..."

"Are you sure? What you told us about the stars sounds like something that your father must have told you." Atticus said.

"It... It is..." Mufasa said softly. "He told me that when I was a little cub... Remember when those hyenas tried to kill us?"

Atticus thought back, then looked back to Simba. "Did he tell you that while we were all together?"

"Yes, he did..." Simba remembered. "He said my Grandmother Uru was up there too... She was a queen."

"What do you know about her?" Atticus asked curiously.

"I remember hearing from Rafiki that when Dad and Uncle Scar were cubs, there was a drought in the Pride Lands an she was the one who found water for everybody." Simba told him.

"Well, everyone is in Heaven and each star is each person or animal that died." Atticus said.

"Heaven?" Simba asked.

"That's where good people go when they die," Atticus explained. "Just think, your dad's up there watching over you."

Simba sighed softly then, feeling a little painful, remembering what happened to his father.

"Simba, what happened in the past can't be changed, but we have to face the present and the future." Atticus said before taking a step forward, letting some milkweed floss fly off with the wind.

Simba stared down at the ground, not sure what else to do or say.

"Simba, we have to face the past, no matter the dangers." Atticus said.

"I... I don't know..." Simba muttered.

"If you don't face it soon, then the Pride Lands will be a wasteland." Atticus said.

Simba walked off from Atticus then.

"Simba!" Atticus called, then frowned with a sigh. "Maybe he's just tired..." He decided to go to his leaf bed to get some rest as well.

* * *

Meanwhile, the debris that Atticus and Simba have let fly in the air was flowing in the wind overnight. The sun was coming up across the African deserts as it passes a familiar tree. Rafiki snatched his hand in the air and collected the remains and sniffed it as he was now whipping something up in a turtle shell. And where he wasn't alone as Forte stood next to him while he stirred it all in the shell.

"Thank you for your help..." Rafiki nodded to him.

"Anything..." Forte nodded back as he stood by and waited for assistance.

Rafiki bit into a fruit as he stirred, but he had a deep feeling that caught his attention. "Simba and the others? Th-They're alive...?"

"Hm?" Forte asked the mystical baboon.

"It's true, look!" Rafiki smiled.

Forte watched, he knew it all along, but he played along for Rafiki's sake.

"They're alive!" Rafiki continued as he laughed in delight and put his concoction against the smeared lion image he made when Simba had been born and waved a red mane over it since Simba was an adult lion now. "It is time!"

"Indeed it is." Forte nodded.

Rafiki gave Forte a hug. "Thank you for your help, my friend."

Forte gave a hug back and gently patted the baboon on the back. "See you soon, Cerise..." he then whispered.

* * *

In the Pridelands, many of the lionesses were trying to leave.

"Tama..." Nala whispered to her best friend. "I'm going to get some food... Do you wanna come?"

"No, take Lucky with you and run and find help." Tama said.

"Okay, you get some rest..." Nala soothed, knowing why Tama was so emotional lately, then looked for Lucky. "Lucky? Oh, there you are..."

Lucky turned to her.

"I'm going to find some food," Nala said to him. "Would you like to come?"

"Yes, I would." Lucky nodded.

Nala nodded and went with Lucky. Scar and Zira watched them go off and then they returned into the den.

"You really think we can find food out here?" Lucky asked once they weren't being watched anymore.

"No, we'll just look for help." Nala whispered.

"Ohh, smart," Lucky whispered back. "Follow me, I think I know where we can find help."

Nala nodded to him and followed after the graying-brownish adult male lion. Lucky began to run ahead forward, following his heart which would tell him where Patch and the others were, but was keeping this information to himself so it would be a surprise for Nala.


	14. Chapter 14

Meanwhile, Patch and the girls were with Timon and Pumbaa as the meerkat and warthog were singing 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' while walking through the jungle and where it was very enjoyable for all of them, but Pumbaa seemed to be distracted by a beetle.

"I can't hear you, buddy, back me up!" Timon called. " _A-WEEEE-ee-EE-ee ba-Pum-ba-bum-ba-way~_ "

But there didn't seem to be any response from the warthog as he had wandered off, wanting to eat the beetle he saw pass by him.

"Eh, Pumbaa?" Timon looked around. "Pumbaa! Girls, where'd Pumbaa go?"

"I think he saw a beetle." Cherry guessed.

"Oh, brother, one of us better go and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Darla groaned.

"Have fun with that." Timon grinned nervously, then dashed off.

"Oh, brother..." Dot groaned.

"I'll do it." Cherry volunteered.

"Okay." Darla said.

"You gonna be okay?" Dot added.

"Ah, come on, what could go wrong?" Cherry shrugged and went to track down the warthog.

"She's right." Darla smiled.

Dot then went with Darla to then go find Timon.

"Now, if I were Pumbaa, where would I be?" Cherry asked herself as she looked around for the 'escaped' warthog. She heard the warthog's voice humming as she saw him going after a beetle. "Pumbaa..." she lowly growled and rushed after him.

* * *

Pumbaa was too focused and determined to capture the beetle and eventually eat it. He even began to try to sneak up on it.

"Pumbaa!" Cherry whispered loudly.

Pumbaa didn't listen until he was half way across a log. Unknown to both of them, there were two lions, one male and one female, grazing in the grass.

"Hmm? Timon? Girls?" Pumbaa asked after hearing something.

So far, there was no one there and the only sound now heard was the wind. Cherry had gone a different way to get Pumbaa. Pumbaa shrugged, continuing his hunt on the beetle. The bug tried to escape the hungry insectivore. Pumbaa took a close look at the beetle until he saw green eyes staring at him through the grass.

It was the lioness and the lion looking right at him, viciously and hungirly. Pumbaa noticed this and screamed out in fear and peril. He then ran and the lion and lioness pursued after him.

* * *

Darla, Dot, and Timon were walking another way until they had run into Pumbaa.

"Pumbaa?" Timon asked, then saw his best friend. "Pumbaa!"

"Pumbaa, what's going on?" Darla asked worriedly.

" **THEY'RE GONNA EAT ME!** " Pumbaa shrieked.

"Who's gonna eat you?" Darla asked.

"They are!" Pumbaa shivered, very frightened.

"Who's they?" Dot asked

"The lion and lioness that are chasing me!" Pumbaa screamed.

"Oh, jeez, why do I always have to save your-" Timon tried to push Pumbaa, then saw the lion and lioness and screamed before he could finish his question.

Cherry finally found Pumbaa, but saw them in danger and rushed to find Atticus, Simba, or Patch. Luckily for her, Atticus, Simba, and Patch appeared, running to the rescue.

Timon cheered for Atticus and Simba as they fought the intruding lion and lioness. "That's right! Bite her head, Simba! Give him the goods, Atticus!" he then looked down to Pumbaa who was too scared to look. "See, I told ya they'd come in handy."

"Were you really the one that said that?" Patch asked the meerkat.

"Oh, wah, wah, wah..." Timon rolled his eyes.

Patch growled and rolled his eyes in return. "Sometimes I wanna eat him, sometimes he's not so bad..."

* * *

The fight continued until the lioness pinend Simba down and growled menacingly to him.

Simba looked as though he recognized this lioness and he had to ask just to prove himself if he was right or not. "Nala...?"

This caught the lioness's attention and she got up from him, slightly surprised that this 'stranger' knew her name. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Simba." Simba smiled.

"Wait, Simba, is that you?" The other lion asked.

Patch thought he recognized the other adult male lion's voice.

"Simba?" Nala asked.

"Lucky, is that you?" Patch asked the other lion.

"Patch?" Lucky asked as soon as he saw the white lion with a black mane.

This made Simba, Nala, Patch, and Lucky gush over realization and reunion.

Atticus only smiled and got off of Lucky so the two former dogs could reunite as Simba and Nala did.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Timon tried to speak up, but no one would listen to him, so he turned up the volume. "HEY! **WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?** "

"Tinon, this is Nala, she's my best friend!" Simba smiled.

"And this is Lucky, he's my father figure!" Patch added.

"Friend and father figure!?" Timon repeated, surprised.

"Yeah!" Simba smiled. "Hey, Pumbaa, come over here!"

The warthog heard his name and got himself unstuck and decided to meet the new visitors.

"We'd like you to meet Nala and Lucky." Atticus smiled.

"Nala, Lucky, this is Pumbaa," Simba introduced. "Pumbaa, Lucky and Nala."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Pumbaa smiled to them.

"The pleasure's all mine." Nala smiled back.

"Mine as well." Lucky smiled.

"How do you-" Timon was about to greet, but then retracted it. "Whoa! Lemme get this straight. You know them. THey know you. But they want to eat him. And everybody's... okay with this? **DID I MISS SOMETHING?!** "

"Relax, Timon." Atticus said.

"Are the girls here too?" Nala asked. "Wait 'til everybody finds out you guys have been here all this time... And Simba, your mother... What will SHE think?"

"S-She doesn't have to know..." Simba said suddenly then. "Nobody has to know."

"Well, of course they do," Lucky said. "Almost everybody thinks you're all dead."

"First, the girls are also here and second, almost everyone thinks we're dead?" Atticus asked.

"Scar told us about the stampede." Nala explained.

"He did...?" Simba winced. "Well... What else did he tell you?"

"What else matters?" Nala smiled. "You're alive... And that means... You're the king."

"King?" Timon scoffed. "Lady, have you got your lions crossed."

"Timon, she's right, Simba is the king." Patch said.

"King?" Pumbaa rushed to Simba and kissed his frontal paws. "Your Majesty! I gravel at your feet."

"Stop it." Simba winced again.

"It's not 'gravel', it's 'grovel'," Timon glanced at the warthog. "And don't! He's not the king... Are ya?" he then asked Simba.

"No." Simba declined, though that was a lie.

"Simba!" Nala scolded.

"No, I'm not the king..." Simba still refused. "Mabe someday I was gonna be, but... That... Was a long time ago."

"But Simba, it's still what you're destined to become." Atticus said.

"Hold on," Timon stepped in. "Let me get this straight, you're king and you never told us?"

"Look, I'm still the same guy." Simba said.

"But with power!" Timon enthusiastically exclaimed.

"This doesn't look good..." Cherry mumbled.

"Could you guys excuse us for a sec?" Nala asked the meerkat.

"Hey, whatever she has to say, she can say in front of all of us," Timon replied. "Right, Simba?"

Simba agreed with his cubhood best friend. "Maybe you'd better go."

"It starts..." Timon felt like this was leading up to something important for later. "Ya think you know a guy."

"We'll go too." Patch offered for Simba's sake.

"Agreed." Atticus nodded.

The others then wandered off to give Simba and Nala some privacy.

"Timon and Pumbaa," Simba sighed to the new friends he made ever since he left home. "You learn to love them..."

Nala bowed her head down rather sadly.

"What? What is it?" Simba asked, coming over to his cubhood friend, already sensing something was bothering her.

"It's like you're back from the dead," Nala quietly replied. "You don't know how much this will mean to everyone... What it means to me..."

"Hey, it's okay." Simba soothed.

Nala rubbed her head under his chin. "I missed you..."

"I missed you too." Simba smiled.


	15. Chapter 15

"Look at how much you've grown," Lucky smiled to Patch. "Though, I kinda miss puppy Patch."

"Puppy Patch misses you too," Patch chuckled, then looked curious. "Did you know I was alive?"

"I was sure you had to be, don't get me wrong, I was sad when I thought you were killed in that stampede, but I just had a strong feeling deep inside that told me differently." Lucky replied.

"Well, I'm great that deep feeling was right." Patch smiled.

"I call it a gut feeling..." Mo walked over, not helping but overhearing. "Is that Nala?"

"Yes, it is, we came for help," Lucky explained. "The Pridelands is getting worse... Scar is also looking for an heir to his throne... So far there's two cubs named Nuka and Vitani."

"Scar has kids now?" Cherry wrinkled her nose slightly.

"I don't think I could ever imagine him being a father." Atticus said.

"He's close with this rogue dark lioness by the name of Zira," Lucky explained. "They had a cub named Nuka, he 'adopted' Vitani."

"Adopted?" the others asked.

Lucky looked sorry for where Vitani came from since Scar just took the cub away from her mother without even discussing he would and claimed the cub as his own child.

"You mean they stole Vitani from her own mother?" Patch asked, shocked.

"Afraid so." Lucky said.

"Why would they do that!?" Darla yelped, disgusted that Scar would stoop that low.

"Scar told the lionesses he wanted an heir," Lucky explained. "I guess he just decided to take Vitani too... He's really lost his mind lately on this whole king thing."

"Well, he won't have the throne for long." Patch smiled.

"It's up to Simba though," Dot said. "He's the true lion king."

"I'm sure Nala can convince him." Mo said with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, but we better make sure their moment together doesn't get ruined." Atticus said.

"We should let them feel the love tonight." Cherry said, noticing that Simba and Nala seemed to have grown past their disgust of liking each other more than friends and seemed to be forming into a couple.

"Yes and where we need to make sure nothing gets in the way." Patch whispered.

"How do we do that?" Dot asked.

"To make sure nothing ruins it by secretly watching over them." Atticus whispered.

"Oh, come on, what's gonna happen?" Cherry rhetorically asked. "Timon and Pumbaa try to invade them and try to ruin their moment so they can't feel the love tonight?"

"It's like you were reading my mind." Atticus said while showing her what Timon and Pumbaa were doing.

Timon whispered something to Pumbaa and they pursued after Simba and Nala.

"Oh, boy..." Cherry rolled her eyes. "We better stop them... I may not be the mushy romantic type, but it seems like Simba and Nala had fallen in love with each other."

"Remember when they were cubs and the thought of that grossed them out?" Mo asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, same thing happened to Darla when she met Urchin." Atticus laughed back.

"It did not!" Darla gave a sharp glare.

"You did so." Atticus smirked.

Darla firmly pouted and if she could, she would fold her arms, so instead, she rolled her eyes. The others looked curious of who Urchin was.

"I'll explain later, come on!" Atticus said.

* * *

With that, the lions then went to go after the meerkat and warthog. Mo hummed the Peter Gun theme song, thinking it might be appropriate since they were doing what is essentially spy work. They saw Timon and Pumbaa moving around like they were on a mission.

"Why don't they want Simba and Nala to fall in love?" Dot asked.

"Probably because they're worried he'll forget about them or somethin'..." Mo guessed.

"That must be it." Patch said.

"Do people really do that when they fall in love?" Dot asked since she was the youngest of all of them. "Forget about their friends?"

"No, they don't." Atticus said.

"Hmm..." Cherry hummed about that.

"You wanna go with 'em, kiddo?" Lucky asked Patch.

"Sure, just to make sure Timon and Pumbaa don't ruin the moment." Patch said.

"All right," Lucky gently pat Patch on the head with one paw. "You have fun."

Patch nodded and went with the others.

* * *

Simba was showing Nala around the tropical paradise he had been living in ever since the stampede incident that killed his father. Timon had a sneaky look on his face as he had a plan to ruin the moment. The meerkat took out a blow dart as he emerged from the grass as Simba and Nala walked together in one part. He then blew it and shot a thorn in Nala's paw.

"Ow!" the lioness yelped in slight pain.

Simba saw that, he then plucked the thorn from her paw and spat it back into the bushes, which hurt Timon, which was funny to Darla and Dot. Simba and Nala smiled to each other, not sure where the dart came from, but at least it was gone for now, at least it wasn't a hunter or a poacher.

* * *

Later on, Timon was whispering to Pumbaa, something about a spider.

"I think it's time we bring out our own spider." Atticus whispered.

"We have one?" Cherry flinched.

"Don't worry, we won't let it near you." Darla promised, also a little nervous.

"Release the spider!" Mo called, but only so they could hear.

Atticus smirked as he brought out a female spider while Timon and Pumbaa brought out a male spider. Timon held out the spider. The spider grinned menacingly and climbed up a tree to flow down in a web to scare off Nala since 'all girls were afraid of spiders'. The female spider was on a branch just above the male one. The male spider stopped himself, then spun back up and noticed the female, falling instantly in love.

"Knew that would work." Atticus smirked.

The spiders then weaved romantic webs while Simba and Nala were nuzzling each other, falling in love themselves.

"That's so romantic!" Pumbaa smiled dreamily.

Timon groaned since he had gotten tied up in the web, much to his chagrin.

"He isn't going to give up." Atticus said.

* * *

Timon and Pumbaa found a beehive and decided to make the bees attack and sting Nala.

"I think this one's gonna solve itself." Darla commented, having watched a lot of cartoons that had bee chases on the unlucky antagonist.

"I suggest we watch the fun." Atticus said.

The others stayed back and let Timon and Pumbaa have this one. Simba and Nala were lying against each other and walked off. Timon rode on Pumbaa's back and threw the hive, but for some reason, the bees weren't moving from their spot behind the meerkat. Timon looked vengeful, then turned to see the bees staying in place and they chased after him.

"This is very entertaining." Patch said.

* * *

Timon had several bee stings in his head and was even missing a tooth and had a black eye. Simba and Nala started to chase each other, only playfully as it looked like they were having a date.

"What are you guys up to?" Dot asked the meerkat and warthog.

"Minding our own business." Timon glanced at her.

"You can't stop the magic of love." Atticus said.

"Oh, yeah?" Timon glared. "Watch this!" he then took a look to the couple of lions running together. "Ready, Pumbaa?"

"Ready, Timon!" Pumbaa called, he had a long vine toward him.

Timon took the other end and they pulled on it to make it straightened out to trip the tumbling Nala and Simba to ruin their date.

"I suggest we step back from this." Patch whispered to the others.

The others went away as quickly as they could to avoid the tumbling. Luckily for all of them, they got away in time as Simba and Nala were hugging each other and rolling down the hill with the vine and laughed at how much fun they had from it. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Timon and Pumbaa as they were pulled with the vine and were launched into a tree, releasing butterflies from it. Simba and Nala were cuddling underneath the tree as the butterflies decorated over their sudden romance.

* * *

 _'Okay, now one of them just has to seal the deal on this date.'_ Patch thought to himself.

"And if he falls in love tonight..." Timon sang to himself as Pumbaa sniffed. "It can be assumed..."

"His carefree days with us are history." Pumbaa added.

"In short, our pal... Is doooomed..." Timon and Pumbaa sang together before looking to each other and cried hysterically.

"Those two are so dramatic." Darla groaned, referring to the meerkat and warthog.

"What do we do now?" Patch asked.

"I'm sure Simba and Nala will be fine now..." Cherry shrugged. "Let's just get back... I wonder what's gonna happen though... I'm sure Nala and Lucky want us back in Pride Rock."

"Yep." Atticus nodded.

* * *

Lucky was looking around the sights and found no meat of any kind and it made him wonder how the 'lions' were surviving without hunting and killing for food.

"Hey, Lucky." Patch said.

"Hey, kiddo." Lucky smiled to his foster son.

"Um, what're you doing?" Patch asked.

"Just lookin' around your new home," Lucky explained. "How do you hunt?"

"We don't hunt here, we eat bugs." Patch told him.

"Never heard of lions eating bugs..." Lucky shrugged. "At least you have food though."

"I guess..." Patch shrugged as well. "Um, is it really that bad in the Pridelands?"

"The worst!" Lucky sounded hysterical for once in his life. "It's really gone to heck in a hamster ball over there! Scar and Zira have lost their noggins!"

"Yikes, well, at least the hyenas aren't in the Pridelands." Patch said nervously.

Lucky pulled a face.

"Huh?" Patch asked.

"Scar's idea," Lucky explained. "He wanted to dawn a new era of lion and hyena to come and live together... Somehow, I think he was connected to those three who kept giving you all trouble when Simba was a cub."

"I am seriously hating that lion." Patch growled.

"You're not the only one..." Lucky could relate. "Simba needs to come back and fight Scar ASAP!"

"That might be a problem." Patch said.

"Why?" Lucky asked.

"The past." Patch said.

"I once heard that the past is in the past and it should be let go." Lucky advised.

"That's easier said than done because I don't know if Simba will do it until he gets a talking to and in more ways than one." Patch said.

"I'm sure Nala can convince him." Lucky smiled.

"Yeah..." Patch was unsure, but he gave a small smile back to his father figure.

* * *

"Mo, do you believe in love at first sight?" Atticus asked.

"Um... Sometimes..." Mo shrugged. "Seems like it only happens in fairy tales though."

"Well, when I first met you, I fell in love." Atticus said.

Mo's tail tucked slightly. "R-R-Really?"

"Oh, yes..." Atticus smiled. "You just made me feel something I've never felt before and that's what it means to fall in love... There was just something there that wasn't there before."

Mo smiled sheepishly.

"Awww!" Dot and Darla awed.

Atticus and Mo then saw the younger girls.

"What're you two doing here?" Atticus asked a little nervously since he thought he and Mo were alone.

"We wanted to see what you two were up to." Dot said.

"Just talking..." Mo said.

"Uh-huh, sure." Darla smirked.

Dot giggled to that. Atticus and Mo merely rolled their eyes.

"Okay, okay, we'll leave you two alone." Darla said.

"So you can kiss or something." Dot added.

"Have you guys kissed?" Darla asked.

"Uhhh..." Atticus and Mo stammered.

The two just giggled and walked off.

"Dot and Darla," Atticus sighed. "You learn to love them..."

"Yep." Mo giggled.

Atticus then walked with Mo as it was now offically just the two of them and where nothing was going to ruin this moment for them, well, almost nothing.

* * *

"Isn't this a great place?" Simba asked his oldest friend.

"It is beautiful," Nala had to agree. " But I don't understand something. You've been alive all this time. Why didn't you come back to Pride Rock?"

"Well, I just needed to get out on my own..." Simba replied, climbing into a vine that was made like a hammock. "Live my own life. And I did. And it's great."

"We really needed you at home." Nala said.

"No one needs me..." Simba's voice grew quiet.

"Yes, we do!" Nala told him.

Cherry was frolicking with Forte, but they stopped as they seemed to overhear the two lions.

"You're the king!" Nala continued.

"Nala, we've been through this," Simba replied. "I'm not the king, Scar is."

"This might end up in an argument." Forte whispered.

"Ya think?" Cherry glanced up at him.

Nala was telling Simba the horrors of what was going on back at home since Scar took control. "Simba, if you don't do something soon, everyone will starve." she said.

"I can't go back." Simba refused.

"Why?" Nala's voice grew loud in hurt and betrayal.

"You wouldn't understand..." Simba glared to her as they argued.

"What wouldn't I understand!?" Nala glared back harshly.

"Uh-Oh..." Forte whispered.

"Should we do something?" Cherry asked her 'mentor'.

"I don't think so, it would only make it worse." Forte advised.

"Oh, boy..." Cherry sighed.

"Forget it!" Simba yelled and stormed off.

"Fine!" Nala glared, both severally angry and disappointed.

Atticus and Mo also overheard the argument.

"I think I better go and make sure that Simba's blowing off some steam." Atticus said.

Mo nodded and allowed him to go. Nala was very hurt, she wasn't sure what else to do, but to go back home since her search for help had failed.

"Um, Nala, why don't you and Lucky stay here for the night?" Mo suggested.

"Mo?" Nala looked over, a little surprised.

"I think you should..." Mo explained. "It's been a long night... Simba's probably just stressed..."

"Were you eavesdropping?" Nala asked.

"No..." Mo said, looking away.

Nala knew that had to mean yes.

"Come on..." Mo led the way back. "Let's get you comfortable... We've all had a long day."

Nala glanced at Mo, but followed her back. "I don't understand Simba anymore... He's acting like a cub!"

"I'm sure he'll be more mature in the morning." Mo said.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Meanwhile with Simba and Atticus...**_

"Hmm..." Nala wasn't so sure.

Simba was pacing as he thought he was alone. "She's wrong... I can't go back... What would it prove anyway? It won't change anything!... You can't change the past..." once he brought up the past, he thought of his father and then looked at the stars, feeling rather isolated in his own dilemma. "You said you'd always be there for me! ...But, you're not... And it's because of me... It's my fault... It's my fault..."

"Simba?" Atticus asked.

Simba looked over. "What?" he asked, unintentionally rudely.

Atticus walked over. "Um, I thought you could use some company."

Simba sighed, then looked away. "I don't know..."

"Simba, you might not be able to change the past, but you still have to face it." Atticus said.

"No... There's nothing I can do..." Simba shook his head.

Atticus sighed. "I wish there was a way for you to see past this..."

There was then a chant heard.

"Wait... What's that?" Atticus then asked.

Simba felt annoyed by the chant. "I'm outta here..."

"I'm coming with you." Atticus said.

"Atticus, I just wanna be alone." Simba sounded impatient.

The chanting continued and we see a very familiar mandrill.

"Come on, will you cut that out!?" Simba glared, not knowing who this was despite the primate being the one who presented him at his birth.

"Hey, Rafiki." Atticus smiled.

"Can't cut it out," Rafiki laughed. "It'll grow right back!"

"Creepy little monkey..." Simba shook his head and walked off.

"He's not a monkey, he's a mandrill." Atticus informed.

"Same difference..." Simba slightly scoffed.

Rafiki followed the now adult male lion.

"Will you stop following me?" Simba glared. "Who are you?"

"The better question is who are you?" Rafiki asked.

"I thought I knew..." Simba sighed. "Now I'm not so sure."

"Well, I know who you are!" Rafiki replied. "Shh... Come here... It's a secret..." he then whispered his chant to the lion's ear.

"Enough already!" Simba growled. "What's that supposed to mean anyway?"

"It means 'you are a baboon and I am not'." Rafiki translated with a laugh.

"Confusing." Atticus said.

"Wrong, I am not the one who is confused," Rafiki replied. "This boy doesn't even know who he is." he then added, referring to Simba.

"Oh, and I suppose you know?" Simba replied sarcastically.

"Sure do," Rafiki smiled before he decided to take off. "You're Mufasa's boy!"

Simba noticed that and looked to the baboon.

"Bye!" Rafiki called before taking his leave.

"Hey, wait!" Simba chased after him.

Atticus followed after him as the adult lion chased after the mandrill. Once they caught up with him, he was in a meditation pose.

"You knew my father?" Simba asked.

"Correction," Rafiki replied. "I _knew_ your father."

Simba sighed, he thought Rafiki knew Mufasa a long time, but forgot one teeny tiny detail. "I hate to tell you this, but... He died... A long time ago..."

"Well, actually Simba, that's both yes and no." Atticus said.

"What...?" Simba was really lost now.

"Mufasa's alive!" Rafiki told Simba. "And I'll show him to you! You follow old Rafiki, he knows the way! Come on!" he then went off.

Simba was unsure, but he did follow the mandrill.

* * *

Atticus began to follow him as well, somehow knowing that the mandrill was taking them the right direction.

"Don't dawdle!" Rafiki called. "Hurry up!"

"Where are we going?" Simba asked Atticus.

"I don't know, but I all I know is that you need to trust Rafiki." Atticus said.

Simba rolled his eyes. "Oh, great, another genius..." he deadpanned.

After a while of running, Rafiki's hand came up in front of the two lions. "STOP!"

Simba and Atticus stopped and looked back to Rafiki as they were in a new part of the jungle.

"Are we finally at the spot that you were taking us to?" Atticus asked.

Rafiki nodded and led them through reeds and parted them away to show a small pool of water. "Yes... Look down there..."

Simba did as told with Atticus at his side, the natural lion was startled at first, but felt annoyed again. "That's not my father..." he sighed in disappointment. "That's just our reflection..."

"No... Look harder..." Rafiki coached.

"He's right, Simba, look harder and you'll see him." Atticus added.

Ripples formed in the pool of water as Simba took another look. His reflection dissolved and the image of Mufasa truly appeared.

"You see..." Rafiki told the former prince. "He lives in you..."

Simba was then awestruck and the wind picked up as the clouds were slowly changing into a familiar shape and form.

"What's with this wind?" Atticus asked.

"Watch..." Rafiki told him in a hushed tone of voice.

Atticus took a closer look at the clouds and saw they had become into a male lion shape.

"Simba..." the clouds said in a very quiet, yet familiar voice.

"Father?" Simba asked, recognizing the voice.

"Simba..." Mufasa replied, revealing himself. "You have forgotten me..."

"No..." Simba felt hurt again. "How could I?"

 _'Yeah, how could he have forgotten his own father?'_ Atticus thought to himself.

 ** _"You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me,"_** Mufasa told his living son. **_"Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life."_**

"How can I go back?" Simba asked, very lost again. "I'm not who I used to be."

 ** _"Remember who you are..."_ ** Mufasa's voice grew strong and motivational. "You are my son and the one true king."

 _'So true.'_ Atticus thought to himself.

Simba felt very emotional. He felt awe, fear, and sadness all at once.

 ** _"Remember who you are..."_** Mufasa's voice started to fade with the clouds.

"Wait, he's going already?" Atticus asked.

Simba begged for his father not to leave, but Mufasa had to return to the afterlife.

"Why did he have to leave?" Atticus asked.

 ** _"Atticus, you must help Simba, you and your friends must help him remember..."_** a female voice told Atticus that did not belong to Mo.

Atticus looked around for the voice. "Who said that?" He looked around before seeing Gaia.

 ** _"You and your friends must help Simba..."_**

"And we will and you are Gaia correct?" Atticus asked.

 ** _"Yes, I am..."_** Gaia replied. " ** _You have a very good heart and soul."_**

"Thank you, ma'am." Atticus bowed.

 ** _"Of course..."_** Gaia smiled. **_"Your children are going to be so lucky to have you."_**

Attiucs looked curious. "I'm going to have children?"

 ** _"I shouldn't say anymore..."_** Gaia realized she shouldn't have said that.

"Anyways, me and my friends will make sure that Simba gets back to the Pridelands and claim the throne." Atticus said.

 ** _"I know you will..."_** Gaia soothed. **_"But before you go, you must make sure Simba knows what he must do on his own."_**

"Yes, ma'am." Atticus said in a strong position.

Gaia smiled and waved as she seemed to fade with the clouds too. Atticus sighed to that, but he then came back over to Simba.

"What were _those_!?" Rafiki laughed. "The weather... Very peculiar... Don't you think?"

"Yeah... Looks like the winds are changing..." Simba nodded.

"Ah, change is good." Rafiki advised.

"Yep, but it's not easy." Atticus said.

"Totally," Simba agreed. "I know what I have to do... But, going back means we'll have to face our past, I've been running from it for so long."

Rafiki then hit the lion on the head.

"Ow!" Simba groaned in pain, then rubbed his head. "What was that for!?"

"Doesn't matter, it's in the past." Rafiki laughed to make a metaphor.

"Yeah, but it still hurts," Simba frowned.

"Yes, the past can hurt, but what matters is you can either run from it or learn from it," Atticus said. "Rafiki, if you'd please?"

"Just what I was thinking, my boy..." the mandrill nodded, he then tried to swing his staff again.

Simba ducked down like he could instinct getting whacked with it again.

"Ha, you see!" Rafiki chuckled. "So, what are you going to do?"

"First... I'm gonna take your stick..." Simba grabbed Rafiki's staff with his mouth and tossed it to the side to make Rafiki go after it.

"Smart, but you're not going back alone." Atticus whispered.

"I'm still going back." Simba nodded to him.

The two then ran off in the distance.

"Hey, where are you going!?" Rafiki called out to them.

"We're going back!" Simba and Atticus shouted back to him in unison.

"Good!" Rafiki called, though teasingly and encouragingly. "Go on! Get out of here!"

"We're already on it!" Atticus called back.

* * *

Dot, Darla, Cherry, Forte, Lucky, and Patch could see Simba and Atticus heading straight back for the Pride Lands.

"Time to head back," Lucky said. "But we better wake up Mo."

"Suicide..." Patch joked, but agreed.

"Come on then, let's go find her." Darla said.

It was easy to find her as she was trying to get to sleep.

"Come on, Mo, time to wake up..." Cherry shook Mo while she slept.

Mo growled that her slumber was disturbed and didn't wake up yet.

"It's time to go back to the Pridelands." Patch whispered.

Mo turned over.

"Mo...?" Cherry came closer.

Mo slapped her paw on Cherry's head like she were an alarm clock to 'snooze' her.

"Atticus is going there with Simba." Patch whispered.

This caused for Mo to wake up and get up ready to get going to the Pridelands.

Cherry rubbed her head. "Problem solved..." she said weakly.

"Come on, let's go!" Mo told them.

"Let's go!" Dot ran after.

The others nodded and followed Mo to follow Atticus and Simba. A few shooting stars zinged across the sky as if they celebrated the destiny of the others to confront the past and also confront Scar. The next morning was going to be a surprise for Timon and Pumbaa and also possibly Nala.


	17. Chapter 17

The lions returned to Pride Rock. They made it to the desolated land.

"Man, it's worse than I imagined." Cherry remarked as they came to Simba's former home.

"It's just like how I remembered in my vision." Atticus whispered.

"Simba, wait up!" Nala rushed over.

Simba turned to see his cubhood friend.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Nala frowned in sympathy.

"I didn't want to believe you." Simba replied.

"Luckily, he got some sense knocked into him." Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, I got the bump to prove it," Simba forced a chuckle. "Besides, this is my kingdom... If I don't fight for it, who will?"

"I will." Nala said.

"Me too." Atticus and the others said.

"It's gonna be dangerous." Simba warned.

"Danger? Ha!" Nala quoted young Simba with a small smile. "I laugh at the face of danger, hahahaha!"

"I see nothing funny about this." Timon's voice arrived.

"Timon and Pumbaa?" Cherry and the others asked.

"What are you doing here?" Simba added.

"Yeah, what are you two doing here?" Atticus asked.

"At your service, my liege." Pumbaa bowed like a servant.

"Uh... We're gonna fight your uncle... For this?" Timon asked, seeing the decaying remains of Pride Rock.

"Yes, Timon," Simba nodded. "This is our home."

"Talk about your fixer-upper," Timon scoffed, then bowed as well. "Well, guys, if it's important to you, we're with you to the end."

"Thank you, Timon." Patch smiled.

Simba smiled in deep appreciation.

* * *

They were now sneaking up on the edge of Pride Rock, hiding behind a log and saw hordes of hyenas.

"Hyenas..." Timon whimpered. "I hate hyenas..." he then whispered to Simba. "So, what's your plan for gettin' past those guys?"

"Live bait." Simba whispered back.

"Good idea," Timon smiled before realizing. "Hey..."

"Come on, Timon, you and Pumbaa have to create a diversion." Atticus whispered.

"What do you want me to do?" Timon replied increnulously. "Dress up in drag and do the hula?"

Atticus smirked as if that's what he had in mind.

"Oh, this is going to be very entertaining." Dot smirked.

Pumbaa was looking like a roast pug with an apple in his mouth while Timon wore a hula skirt and a flower in his ear. Darla, Dot, Forte, and Cherry decided to help out. While Timon made up a luau song to distract the nearly starving to death hyenas, Simba, Atticus, Nala, Patch, and Lucky were sneaking into the Pride Lands.

"I still can't believe we have to help out." Forte whispered.

"Don't worry, Timon's got a plan for this." Cherry said.

Forte sighed, but he took her word for it.

"You could be a big pig too!" Timon finished his song. "Oy!"

The hyenas growled and then chased them all into a cave. However, there was then a 'stink bomb'.

"What the!?" one hyena yelped which made them all flee out suddenly.

Pumbaa walked out proudly, carrying Timon on his back.

"I love the smell of Pumbaa in the morning." Timon smiled, looking determined and serious.

"Hey, move your tush, honey!" a scratchy female voice said.

"Who the heck was that?!" Dot asked.

"Calm down," Darla soothed. "I doubt it's a hyena."

Pumbaa backed up and saw two meerkats digging up from the ground. A chubby female and a rather elderly male.

"Ma, Uncle Max?" Timon asked, astonished.

"Oh, Timmy!" the female meerkat beamed.

"Timon?" the male meerkat questioned.

"Timon, that's your mother and uncle?" Dot asked.

"Ah, yes..." Timon nodded, then came down to meet his relatives back from the colony. "What're you doin' here?"

"Lookin' for you!" Timon's mother smiled, then embraced her son. "Aww... Mommy's here..."

Max glanced at his nephew, wearing a hula skirt, flower, and lei around his neck, questioning it in silence. Timon grinned sheepishly about it.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Forte whispered.

Pumbaa took a look at Pride Rock.

* * *

"Nala, you find my mother and rally the lionesses," Simba told his friend. "We'll look for Scar."

Nala nodded and went to get right to work.

"Come on, Atticus." Simba said, remembering how strong Atticus was and would be good if he had his help.

"Right." Atticus growled in determination.

" **SARABI!** " Scar yelled from the top.

This caused for Atticus and Simba to look and see what was going on.

Sarabi came to her brother-in-law. "Yes, Scar?"

"Where is your hunting party Zira arranged for you?" Scar asked. "They're not doing their job."

"Scar, there is no food," Sarabi calmly replied, hiding her anger and despair deep down. "The herds have moved on."

"No, you're just not looking hard enough!" Scar growled.

"It's over," Sarabi tried to sound strong, but not hissy as well. "There's nothing left. We only have one choice: We must leave Pride Rock."

Zira slowly came out with Nuka.

"We're not going anywhere," Scar growled.

"Then you have sentenced us to death." Sarabi glared.

"Then so be it." Scar growled.

"You can't do that." Sarabi was both disgusted and amazed of how Scar had gotten since he took charge.

"He's the king, he can do whatever he wants." Zira glared to Sarabi.

"If he was half the king Mufasa was, he would nev-" Sarabi was about to retort.

Since Mufasa was mentioned, Scar smacked her right into the ground. "I'm ten times the king Mufasa was!"

This angered both Simba and Atticus, but this angered Simba the most.

Scar noticed Simba and looked rather frightened, but he mistook the adult male lion for someone else. "Mufasa...? No... You're dead..."

"I'm confused..." Nuka said.

"Get back inside..." Zira shoved the cubs back into the cave.

Simba and Atticus both went over to Sarabi to see if she was alive. Sarabi was barely breathing, the strike was very powerful and she was starving. Simba nudged his mother to wake her up hopefully.

Sarabi woke up and she looked to her son all grown up, but she mistook him for someone else who filled her with hopes from then on. "Mufasa...?"

"No," Simba shook his head. "It's me."

"Simba?" Sarabi had a delightful smile. "You're alive..." she then looked curious and confused. "But how can that be?"

"That doesn't matter, me and my friends are home." Simba smiled.

"Simba...?" Scar sounded surprised, but pulled a face to keep up appearances. "Simba! I'm a little surprised to see you and your friends..." he then sharply glanced up above him. "ALIVE!"

Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed gulped and backed up nervously, trying to blend in with the shadows.

"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't rip you apart." Atticus glared at the evil lion.

"Oh, you boys must understand..." Scar backed up. "The pressures of ruling a kingdom..."

"Are no longer your's, step down, Scar." Simba glared at his uncle.

Zira sneered to Simba as she stayed with the cubs, who looked puzzled, worried, and afraid. She kept them safe though and made sure they wouldn't get involved in what looked like a battle for Pride Rock.

"Oh, well, I would, naturally..." Scar replied to his now adult nephew. "However, there is one little problem... You see them?" he then pointed up.

Simba looked up to see vicious hyenas, ready to attack whenever necessary.

"They think I'm king." Scar replied.

Zira then walked over, leaving Nuka, Vitani, and the newest cub in their 'family' alone in the cave. "And so do I..."

"Let me guess, you're Zira, correct?" Atticus asked.

"That would be me..." Zira smiled maliciously to him. "You better back off now... These lands belong to Scar!"

"And they will for my new heir," Scar added, looking back to the three cubs, but looked to the youngest one. "The heir to my throne will be the obvious one for the job... The one who will do me no wrong and will make me very proud when the time comes."

Nuka smiled proudly and stood up tall.

"Kovu." Scar said then.

Nuka's eyes widened. "THE BABY!?"

"Did you two have a baby?" Atticus asked. "Or did you steal him?"

"What does it matter to you?" Zira scowled. "These lands belong to Scar and he's the true king!"

"We don't think so!" a female voice said then. Nala had appeared with the other lionesses who deeply glared to both Scar and Zira. "Simba is the rightful king." she then added fiercely to show she meant serious business.

"She's right." Mo said.

"The choice is yours, Scar," Simba snarled. "Either step down or fight."

"Oh, must it all end in violence?" Scar tried to guilt trip his nephew. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Simba?"

"It's not gonna work, Scar," Atticus growled. "He's put it behind him."

"What about his faithful subjects?" Zira stepped in to defend Scar. "Have they put it behind them and for you to also be of blame of what's happened by Simba's side?"

"Guys," Nala looked curious. "What's she talking about?"

"Ah, so you haven't told them your little secret," Scar grew delighted. "Well, Simba, now's your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mufasa's death!"

 _'Is he really trying to turn the tables on Simba?'_ Atticus thought to himself.

"We are..." Simba gave in.

Sarabi was in deep grief after the lionesses grew shocked, she then stepped over to her son, sounding like she was about to cry. "It's not true... Tell me it's not true..."

"It's true..." Simba replied with very much regret.

"You see, he admits it!" Scar told the lionesses. "Murderers!"

"No, it was an accident!" Simba defended as lightning struck.

"Yeah, truly just an accident." Atticus added in.

"If it weren't for you all, Mufasa would still be alive!" Scar ranted. "It's your faults he's dead; do you deny it?"

"No!" Atticus and Simba cried.

"Then you're GUILTY!" Scar severally dished out.

"No, we're not murderers!" Simba defended. "Scar, leave my friends alone, it's me that you want!"

"That's true, but it's all your faults that Mufasa isn't here." Scar said evilly.

"You're all in trouble again," Zira taunted them. "But this time, Daddy isn't here to save you... And now EVERYONE... KNOWS... WHY!"

Scar backed Simba up against the ledge of Pride Rock. Atticus was about to go help Simba, but Zira dropped down in front of him and had a bloodthirsty smile, if looks could kill, Attiucs would be donefor.

"Zira, get out of my way." Atticus said.

"No, I don't think I will..." Zira backed him up against the cave. "You and the others brought this out on themselves..." she then turned her head over to Scar as he made Simba dangle. "Ooh, that brings back memories..."

Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu moved out of their mother's way, but still, stayed out of the dangerous way.

"What do you mean?" Atticus asked the dark rogue lioness.

"Oh, it's a very hush-hush story that Scar told me when I decided to stay by his side in ruling over Pride Rock," Zira smiled darkly, then leaned in with a whisper. " _Scar_ killed Mufasa..."

This made sense now Scar had to be responsible for what happened. Zira grinned darkly.

"NOOOO!" Simba suddenly yelled and pounced on top of his evil uncle. "MURDERER!"

"Looks like your mate just spilled the beans to Simba." Atticus smirked.

"Impossible!" Zira snarled and got away from Atticus to see that Simba was now angry and hurt on top of the evil lion.

"No, Simba, please..." Scar pleaded for dear life.

"Tell them the truth." Simba demanded.

"Truth?" Scar stalled before Simba started to choke him. "But truth is in the eye of the behold-*GACK!* All right... All right! I did it..." he then admitted in a soft tone of voice.

"So they can hear you..." Simba demanded sharply.

" **I KILLED MUFASA!** " Scar yelled out then.

"I knew it!" Forte snarled.

The hyenas and lionesses were then going under attack for Pride Rock. Zira rushed into the cave, letting Atticus alone, and rushed to her cubs.

* * *

"Mother, what's going on?" Nuka asked.

"Your father is being attacked." Zira said.

"What do we do?" Vitani asked as she kept Kovu from going anywhere since he was only a baby and could get hurt.

"You cubs stay in here while I help your father." Zira said.

Nuka and Vitani looked to each other then. Zira then went to help Scar fight off Simba and his friends. Timon and Pumbaa were returning and distracting and fighting the hyenas. Atticus seemed to be able to take on more and more hyenas due to his incredible strength.

* * *

"Are your mother and uncle safe, Timon?" Darla asked the meerkat after he got out of his Hawaiian drag costume.

"Yep, and they're ...Digging tunnels as a trap." Timon whispered.

"Something wrong?" Mo noticed how ill Timon looked when he mentioned 'digging tunnels'.

"Not my favorite activity..." Timon shuddered. "But I came up with the idea!"

"Who's going to fall into the trap?" Darla asked.

"The hyenas, we just need to help distract 'em for Ma and Uncle Max." Timon suggested.

"Let's help, Atticus and Simba, and maybe the other lionesses can handle Scar and Zira, and I'm sure Rafiki has a few tricks up his sleeve." Cherry suggested.

"Great plan." Forte smiled that she came up with that.

"Let's go, and BREAK!" Timon said like a football quarterback.

Timon, Pumbaa, and the others came to a corner where the more well-known hyenas were.

"Hey, guys!" Timon called, loud enough for the predators to hear. "What do you call a hyena with half a brain?"

"Gee, I don't know, Timon, what do you call a hyena with a half a brain?" Dot giggled.

"Gifted!" Timon said.

This made the lions with him laugh, along with Pumbaa. Ed laughed as well.

Banzai smacked the stupid hynea's head. "They're talkin' about us!"

"For your last meal, you're gonna eat those words..." Shenzi glared menacingly.

"I suggest that we run for our lives now." Dot said calmly.

"Oh, yes, let's." Pumbaa agreed.

This caused for them all to zip away instantly then.

* * *

They then landed down as the hyenas slowly chased after them.

"Ma, I think we got their attention!" Timon called to his mother.

"Not yet!" Timon's mother replied as she carried support beams while Max was digging and singing underground with her. "Keep stalling!"

"What?!" Dot asked out of shock.

"Okay..." Timon said in a panicked tone of voice.

Pumbaa then grinned nervously as Timon took out juggling sticks and dishes nervously. The hyenas stopped dead in their tracks and looked bewildered.

"You gotta be kiddin' me..." Banzai scoffed.

Timon then balanced the dishes on the sticks to end his diversion. "Now, Ma?"

"Need more time, honey!" Timon's mother replied.

"Oh, come on!" Dot groaned.

Timon and Pumbaa then tried to can-can, but that was not good for the hyenas as they were very annoyed.

"Uhh... Free-style!" Timon said, then break danced with Pumbaa.

The hyenas laughed at that.

"Encore, encore!" Shenzi clapped in mockery.

"No, no, you mean 'entree, entree'!" Banzai said to her.

"No, you right, let's eat 'em." Shenzi grinned.

"Is ready, Ma?" Timon bit his nails nervously.

"Not yet, keep stallin'!" Timon's mother called.

Timon felt his untimely death coming, but soon had an idea. "Wait, wait, wait... Hold on a second..."

"Timon, what are you doing?" Dot asked.

Timon got down on one of his knees and put his paws together. "Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena... Would you do me the honor of becoming... My bride?"

The others looked surprised and shocked from that.

"I don't think so!" Shenzi shook her head.

"This is your back-up plan?" Dot whispered through her teeth.

"Just trust me, okay?" Timon whispered back.

"This is bad," Darla said as they backed up. "This is very bad."

"Shenzi Marie, please," Timon continued to milk the hyena pack leader the best that he could. "I know what you're thinking: 'We're too different. It'll never work. What will the children look like'?"

"Ooh, that violates so many laws of nature!" Shenzi exclaimed in disgust.

"I hate to say it, but she's right." Cherry said.

"Thank you!" Shenzi replied.

"No problem..." Cherry shrugged.

"I like that girl..." Shenzi smirked.

Banzai and Ed glanced to Shenzi, then glared back at who they wanted to kill.

"I think I just made a friend..." Cherry slowly blinked.

"I hope she has a change of heart." Darla whispered.

"Listen to me! The problems of a couple of wacky kids like us don't amount to hill of termites in this nutty Circle of Life thing. And so I ask you: If not now, when? If not me, who?" Timon miserably pleaded. "I'm lonely..."

Pumbaa sniffled and tapped his shoulder. "Can I be your best man?"

"I say we skip the wedding and go straight for the buffet!" Banzai replied.

Timon's mother stuck her head out from underground. "Now?"

"Sure, if you're ready." Timon nonchalantly replied.

"Oh!" Timon's mother noticed the hyenas and then called underground. "Now, Max, now!"

"Hyenas in the hole!" Max then knocked down the support beams to make the ground open up and swallow the hyenas.

"Bye-Bye." Dot smirked while waving to the hyenas.

The hyenas saw the ground crack which made them worried and back up instantly. The crack however stopped unexpectidly and the hyenas did not fall.

"I need help!" Max popped his head out. "It didn't work!"

"Hey, works for me!" Banzai laughed as he, Shenzi, and Ed approached again.

"What're we gonna do!?" Timon's mother panicked.

* * *

Meanwhile, the fire was getting worse and worse, Simba and Atticus were coming back on their way to Scar.

"He's not going to escape us." Atticus said.

Simba and Atticus chased Scar up to the highest point of Pride Rock and finally cornered him so they could finally confront him and put all of this behind them. "Murderer..." they both said severally quiet to the new lion king.

"Both of you, please, have mercy..." Scar begged. "Please... I beg of you..."

"You don't deserve to live." Simba scowled.

"But, Simba, I am, uh, family..." Scar said. "It's the hyenas who are the real enemy."

The three hyenas growled, about to attack the others, but then overheard that and stopped dead in their tracks.

"It was their fault!" Scar continued. "It was their idea!"

"Why should we believe you?" Atticus growled. "Everything you ever told Simba and the rest of us was a lie."

"What are you going to do?" Scar smiled nervously. "Simba, you wouldn't kill your own uncle...?"

"No, Scar, I'm not like you." Simba sneered.

"Oh, Simba, thank you," Scar grew relieved. "You are truly noble. I'll make it up to you, I promise. How can I, ah, prove myself to you? Tell me; I mean, anything."

"Run, run away, Scar," Simba demanded gravely and angrily. "And never return..."

"Agreed." Atticus nodded.

"Yes... Of course... As you wish..." Scar nodded back, then looked down to see a pile of hot coals. "Your Majesty!" he then hissed, swiping the coal into Simba and Atticus's eyes.

Simba and Atticus cried in surprise and pain and tried to swipe the coals out of their eyes with their paws. Scar then took that time to pounce on and attack Simba and Atticus.

"Sneak attack, eh?" Atticus asked.

Simba tried to fight Scar and Atticus only helped when necessary. This fight was very intense and the fire made it even more intense and hellish.

"You won't win, Scar." Atticus snarled.

"You don't even belong here!" Scar scowled to Atticus.

"What are you talking about?" Simba asked.

Atticus paused for a moment. "Uh, it's a long story."

Simba looked to him. Seeing they were distracted, Scar emerged from the flames and leaped in to tackle Simba and Atticus. Atticus and Simba threw him off them and off of Pride Rock.

"Teamwork." the two smiled to each other.

Scar was falling, passing the meerkats, warthog, and other lions as he was now down and out. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed decided to leave the others alone and wanted to have a word with Scar and had a bone to pick with him.

"They are going to have their revenge on him." Patch said.

"You think so?" Cherry muttered.

* * *

Scar weakly got up, then looked over to see the hyenas. "Ah... My friends..."

"Friends?" Shenzi repeated with a laugh. "I thought he said we were the enemy!"

"Yeah... That's what I heard..." Banzai agreed.

The two then looked to their silly friend who even looked very angry with Scar. "Ed...?"

Ed's only response was a very evil and sadistic laugh. All of the hyenas looked hungry and lucky for them, there was a lion right in front of them.

"No!" Scar grew nervous and fearful. "L-L-L-Le-Le-Le-Le-Let me explain. No. You don't understand. No! I didn't mean for... No, No! Look, I m sorry I called you... No! NOO!"

The hyenas then winked to Cherry, Mo, Patch, Lucky, Forte, Dot, and Darla and then devoured Scar to give him his just desserts.

"I think they are now being even with us." Dot said.

"Bye-Bye, Bad Guy..." Darla added, referring to Scar.


	18. Chapter 18

There was now rain coming which extinguished the flames.

Atticus could now see that things were going according to the good vision he had selected in which Dr. Whooves and Derpy had told him about. "Come on, Simba, let's get back to the others." he smiled to the true and rightful king to Pride Rock.

Simba smiled in agreement, they had done it. Zira came out with Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu.

Simba glared to them however. "For being Scar's followers, I'm afraid you are all banished."

"You can't do that!" Nuka glared.

"I'm sorry, young one, but Simba is the king now," Sarabi came to her son's side. "You must go now."

"This isn't over, Simba..." Zira sneered. "We _will_ be back and Kovu shall become the new King of the Pridelands!"

With that, Zira left with her children to find a place they could all come home and she would plot revenge on Simba, someday, somehow.

"Excellent decision, Simba." Nala said to him.

Simba passed Timon and Pumbaa and then embraced them and smiled to them and his other lion friends. "I couldn't have done it without you guys."

"We were happy to help." Patch smiled.

Simba then marched up to Pride Rock to proclaim his destiny.

"That's our boy." Pumbaa smiled proudly.

"Oh... I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry!" Timon sniffled before sobbing.

Rafiki came to the lions who were not born lions. "I knew you could all help Simba..." he smiled to them.

"We couldn't let Simba go back alone." Patch smiled.

"Yes, I knew having a strong bond with you all would do him so good..." Rafiki said mysteriously. "That is why you are all here."

Darla looked curious. "What do you mean?"

"Do you wonder how you all ended up here and became what you think you are?" Rafiki asked, hinting something.

"What, did you turn us into lions and give us those tickets here or something?" Mo asked.

Rafiki chuckled. "Not exactly, somebody else felt it was right..."

"Who?" the lions asked.

There was a glowing ball coming up in front of them to reveal the alicorn princess of Equestria.

"Princess Celestia!" the others recognized instantly.

"Hello, my friends." Princess Celestia smiled.

"Boy, you must be really bored or something if you always come to us..." Cherry said to the alicorn, but of course, she bowed respectively.

"No, the reason why I chose you all to come here is because I knew you all could help Simba." Princess Celestia told them.

"Well, we're glad we could help, Princess." Mo smiled.

"How was your first adventure, Darla?" Princess Celestia asked her newest recruit.

"I was hoping for something a little more glamorous..." Darla sighed. "Like, I dunno, investigating a shoe store in Paris..."

"Not all adventures will be glamorous." Atticus said.

"Hmph..." Darla pouted slightly.

Princess Celestia smiled to them. Simba roared once he ascended to the top of Pride Rock. The lionesses roared back to him once he became the new and true lion king of the jungle.

"Mufasa is proud." Princess Celestia told the others.

"I know he is." Atticus smiled.

* * *

Suddenly, as the rain cleared, it seemed as though everybody returned to their human and dog form, back to their rightful ages.

"What just happened?" Dot asked.

"Lucky, you're a dog again!" Patch noticed.

"So are you!" Lucky pointed to him.

The others looked to each other to see they were all back to normal.

"This is weird, but... I guess it's the right thing to do..." Cherry folded her arms. "I just hope Simba doesn't kill us too slowly when he realizes we're human."

Luckily Simba didn't do that when he first saw them in their true forms.

"Guys...?" he asked once he came up to them. "Is that you?"

Nala was both shocked and curious, as was everyone else.

"Yes, Simba, we're not originally from your land, we were trying to help you see the light and help you remember who you are," Mo spoke up maturely. "We now see that you have succeeded your own mission just as well as we did. This looks like goodbye though."

"Goodbye?" Simba frowned.

"We have to go back to our families and place we where we came from." Atticus said.

Nala looked sad. "Promise to come again?"

"Someday..." the others promised.

Simba gave each of them a hug. "Thanks, guys... For everything."

"You're welcome, Your Highness." Atticus smiled.

Simba had tingles when he was called that. "Guess you all better go then."

"We'll never forget you." Nala added.

The two then went back to Pride Rock as it was now goodbye to their new friends and hello to their new lives.

"How do we get to the airport?" Dot asked.

Forte walked one way without even saying anything.

Cherry followed after, looking to her friends. "I think it's a safe bet Forte knows the way."

Dot shrugged. "Good enough for me."

"I agree with Cherry." Atticus said.

"Come on, Lucky!" Dot smiled to her pet.

Lucky chuckled. "I'm comin', I'm comin'."

With that, they all went to the airport after Simba took the throne and Timon introduced his family to his new life. There was a scruffy female meerkat who smiled to Timon bashfully and nuzzled up to him. Timon's eyes widened and he stepped back to see her. The female meerkat looked down shyly, then smiled to him. Timon blinked and smiled back, feeling something that he never felt before.

"So Timon, who's this your girlfriend?" Pumbaa teased in a best friend kind of way.

"Huh, what?" Timon jumped out of his fur, metaphorically speaking. "Uh, what're ya talkin' about? I don't know this girl!" he laughed, then glanced back to the female. "Do I...?"

The female meerkat giggled. "You're funny~..."

Timon grinned and took her paws. "My kind of gal."

"Who is she?" Pumbaa whispered to Timon's mother.

"Her name's Tesma," Timon's mother smiled. "She's a very lovely girl..."

"So does she know Timon?" Pumbaa asked.

"Oh, honey, _everybody_ knows Timon back in our colony." Timon's mother said.

"Really?" Pumbaa asked.

"Yes, such a shoddy reputation!" Max stepped in, sounding rather paranoid and hysterical. "I feel disgraced to have him as a nephew! He collapsed one tunnel exit before he left home because he tried to make what he called a sky-light! Four in one week! A new record!"

"Not now, Max." Timon's mother sighed.

"You were so busy cuddling him, you forgot to teach him how to be a meerkat!" Max glared to her.

"Yeah, and unfortunately, I left that to you." Timon's mother folded her arms, very much annoyed with his behavior, then looked to Pumbaa. "Dear, you should go home, your family must be worried."

"Oh, uh, I'd love to, but... I don't have a home..." Pumbaa explained softly.

"Oh, dear..." Timon's mother said out of sadness.

"I didn't have anybody until I met Timon..." Pumbaa explained.

"He didn't really have anybody either..." Timon's mother cooed. "Poor thing didn't have a friend in the world... In fact, his closest companion was me... We would spend hours and hours together!"

Pumbaa had a sad smile.

"Uh, maybe you could help show us this whole 'Hakuna Matata' thing?" Timon's mother suggested.

"It would be my pleasure." Pumbaa smiled.

Timon's mother smiled. Pumbaa then left the two older meerkats up on his back and walked off with them as things were right once more in the Pridelands and where they would all get better.

* * *

"I wonder if Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed survived after finishing off Scar..." Mo said to herself as she looked out the window to see the African jungle one last time before their plane would take them all back home.

"I think they survived." Atticus said, sitting next to her.

"You think so?" Mo looked back.

"Well, even if they didn't, at least they got to finally have one last meal." Atticus said, gravely serious and gentle for her sake.

Mo hugged him with a tear rolling down her cheek. Atticus began to comfort her to make her feel better.

Mo took a deep and shallow breath. "I saw my parents..." she whispered.

"Hm?" Atticus heard that, but wanted to make sure he heard her right..."

"One night before we went to bed..." Mo explained, then let go of him. "I saw my parents... My... Real parents..."

"What were they like?" Atticus asked.

"Just wonderful..." Mo said softly, unsure of the right words to find. "Unbelievable... Amazing... I barely remembered what they looked like... I just... I don't how how to describe or how to even start..."

"Well, all I can tell you were very happy to see them, right?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah..." Mo smiled. "It was surprising and just wonderful... It's... It's just something you have to experience for yourself."

Atticus could actually relate, despite not being an actual orphan, but he felt the same way when he had his first solo adventure with Scamp and they happened to run into his long-lost family. What were the odds of that happening? He gave her a hug though.

* * *

"Looks like your next adventure is in the Indian jungles." Forte said to Cherry.

"So it seems..." Cherry said as she got a message invitation to go to India with Penn and Teller after she had went before. "I've been there before... We met Mowgli."

"How am I not surprised?" Forte chuckled.

Cherry glanced to him, then looked back at the message she got. "I wonder what Mowgli's up to anyway ever since he followed that girl back to the village and Baloo and Baghera let him go."

"I guess only one way to find out..." Forte said to her.

The plane then took off and sent them back home. The image of Mufasa seemed to appear in the clouds with a heavenly glow as peace was restored back to Pride Rock.

* * *

In the Pridelands, about three months later, history seemed to repeat itself as Rafiki stood between Simba and Nala and presented their first cub together who looked a lot like his father, but had a brown tuft of fur on his head.

"I think we'll name him Kopa." Nala smiled.

"That is a wonderful name." Rafiki approved.

The animals of the jungle were blessed and fortunate to meet their future king after Simba's time would come. Zira stood with her cubs after she had found shelter for them all and she would vow revenge, but that was a story for another time. As for Atticus, Mo, Dot, Darla, Forte, Cherry, Patch, and Lucky, they had safely arrived back home.

* * *

"So, you're going to India then?" Mo asked Cherry.

"Yeah, I'm gonna leave in a few weeks," Cherry replied. "They said I could bring friends if I wanted to... You and Atticus wanna come?"

"Yes!" Atticus, Mo, and Patch smiled.

Cherry then messaged back after a long time of not answering due to the lion transformation, once she got an answer, she put her phone away then. "All right, it's set, our next adventure will be in the Indian jungles."

Atticus, Mo, and Patch cheered to this.

"I guess you'll come too?" Cherry glanced at the court composer.

"Erm... I think you'll be fine without me..." Forte decided to give her some space. "I'll wait for you at home."

Cherry glanced at him. "Well... That's fine by me!"

"Have a fun time in the Indian jungle." Forte smiled.

"Hopefully..." Cherry said with a shrug. "Penn and Teller will be there, so, hey."

"I have a question." Mo said.

"Yes?" Patch looked up to her.

"Who's Penn Teller?" Mo then asked.

"They're preforming magicians." Atticus said.

"Cherry has a crush on Teller." Patch added.

"I so do not!" Cherry's eyes widened.

"You do so!" Atticus retorted.

"NOT!" Cherry folded her arms.

Mo was very curious, but she guessed she should do some research before their next adventure.

* * *

They all then went back home after their exhausting adventure together.

"I can't wait to get home." Dot said.

"You deserve a nice long rest..." Lucky smiled to Dot.

When they all got home, it was time to reunite with their families, take a good rest, and chill out until the next adventure.

The End


End file.
